91µ¼º½

Pink, reddish-purple, pale green or white feathery flowers in spike-like panicles, appear in summer and autumn among ribbon-like, mid or dark green leaves, sometimes striped with cream or yellow or flushed purple. Deciduous types can have good autumn colour.

Mainly drought-tolerant, these grasses appreciate light soil that drains easily, ideally in full sun.

They will not thrive in heavy soils that tend to be wet, especially in winter, and do not do well in shade.

The flowers are good for cutting, for use in both fresh and dried arrangements. Some of these grasses self seed in gardens: for this reason Pennisetum setaceum can be invasive and so is no longer sold in British and European garden centres or nurseries. Thankfully there are plenty of other Pennisetum to try growing.