Graceful Grasses®
Sun or partial sun
36 - 48
Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'
Current Rating
Graceful Grasses®'Rubrum' Purple Fountain GrassPennisetumsetaceum 'Rubrum'
Graceful Grasses®
'Rubrum' Purple Fountain Grass
Pennisetum
setaceum 'Rubrum'
Upright arching. Waves of gracefully nodding soft purple plumes arch up and out from burgundy-tinted foliage in true fountain grass form. This variety is especially dramatic in clusters, mass plantings, or along slopes. A favorite for fresh or dried arrangements. Pest and disease-free.
"A Real Simple magazine – Top 10 goofproof Plant"
Gardener’s Rated this plant:
4.24
Rate this Plant
4.24
Features
Bronze-purple foliage topped with graceful arches of burgundy-toned seed heads
• Cut Flower
• Deadheading Not Necessary
• Dried Flower
• Grass
• Heat Tolerant
• Landscape Plant
Ornamental Characteristics
Flower Color:
Pink
Foliage Color:
Black/Purple
Garden Height:
36 - 48"; Tall
Spacing:
18 - 24"
Habit:
Upright
Container Plant Style:
Thriller - Used either in the back or middle of a container. Usually a taller item that adds height and drama to the container.
Plant Needs
Duration:
Annual
Bloom Time:
Summer through Fall
Hardy Temp:
20°F (-7°C)
Exposure:
Sun or partial sun
Water Needs:
Normal
Maintenance:
Easy
Uses:
Landscapes and containers
This grass will beautify your garden all summer
Patent Information
Graceful Grasses® Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' 'Rubrum'
Growing Tips
In almost all areas Rubrum will be an annual grass. Once the grass turns brown in the fall you can cut it back to the ground whenever you would like.
Rubrum is a warm-season grass. Where temperatures get colder than 20 degrees F, the plants should be treated as annuals. Once the grass turns brown it can either be removed immediately or removed in the spring. It should not be expected to live through the winter and begin growing again in the spring.
In areas where winter temperatures remain above 20 degrees it should be considered a perennial and the following information should be useful. Warm-season grasses won't start growing until mid to late spring or even early summer. Their major growth and flowering happens when the weather is hot. They will usually turn shades of brown for the winter.
Cut back warm season grasses in fall or by mid to late spring. Warm season grasses turn shades of brown as the weather turns colder. Once your warm season grasses turn brown you can trim them back at almost any time. If you like to tidy your garden in fall or if you live in an area where fire can be problematic trim warm season grasses so they are just a few inches tall.
If you live in an area where fire generally isn't a problem you can leave the dried grasses and seed heads in your garden for winter interest. Snow or ice encrusted ornamental grasses can be quite beautiful.
If you leave the trimming until spring try to make sure to cut them back to the ground (you can leave a couple of inches) by late spring, before new growth begins.
Not all ornamental grasses look good through the winter, trim back those that don't look good in the fall.
Divide warm season grasses anytime spring through mid-summer. All ornamental grasses should be divided when they are actively growing but not while they are flowering. If the plants are dormant when they are transplanted they won't establish a good root system. Warm season grasses generally start growing in late spring or early summer and have their active growth period during the heat of the summer. Warm season grasses will tend to bloom in mid to late summer.
Rubrum is a warm-season grass. Where temperatures get colder than 20 degrees F, the plants should be treated as annuals. Once the grass turns brown it can either be removed immediately or removed in the spring. It should not be expected to live through the winter and begin growing again in the spring.
In areas where winter temperatures remain above 20 degrees it should be considered a perennial and the following information should be useful. Warm-season grasses won't start growing until mid to late spring or even early summer. Their major growth and flowering happens when the weather is hot. They will usually turn shades of brown for the winter.
Cut back warm season grasses in fall or by mid to late spring. Warm season grasses turn shades of brown as the weather turns colder. Once your warm season grasses turn brown you can trim them back at almost any time. If you like to tidy your garden in fall or if you live in an area where fire can be problematic trim warm season grasses so they are just a few inches tall.
If you live in an area where fire generally isn't a problem you can leave the dried grasses and seed heads in your garden for winter interest. Snow or ice encrusted ornamental grasses can be quite beautiful.
If you leave the trimming until spring try to make sure to cut them back to the ground (you can leave a couple of inches) by late spring, before new growth begins.
Not all ornamental grasses look good through the winter, trim back those that don't look good in the fall.
Divide warm season grasses anytime spring through mid-summer. All ornamental grasses should be divided when they are actively growing but not while they are flowering. If the plants are dormant when they are transplanted they won't establish a good root system. Warm season grasses generally start growing in late spring or early summer and have their active growth period during the heat of the summer. Warm season grasses will tend to bloom in mid to late summer.
Other Colors In Graceful Grasses® Series
| Year | Award | Trial |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Summer Survivor | Texas A & M - East Texas Bedding Plant Trial |
| ...continued strong into late summer and are picking up the golden sun of fall like a picture. | ||
| 2009 | Top 10 | Mississippi State University |
| 2008 | Best of Breed | North Carolina State, JC Raultson Arboretum |
| 2009 | Best Friend Forever | Virginia Tech |
| Can't garden without it. | ||
| 2009 | Top Performer | University of Minnesota |
| 2008 | Leader of the Pack Summer - Early Season | North Carolina State, JC Raultson Arboretum |
| 2009 | Prairie Star | Kansas State University |
| 2009 | Best Varieties | Penn State |
| 2009 | Top Performer | University of Kentucky Arboretum |
| 2009 | Top Performer | Norfolk Botanical Garden |
| 2009 | Top Performer summer | Michigan State University |
| 2009 | Top Performer - Late Summer | Michigan State University |
| 2009 | Top Performers | Delaware Valley College, Henry Schmieder Arboretum |
| 2007 | Best of the Zoo | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden |
| 2009 | Best Performer | Cornell University |
| 2009 | Top Performer | Oklahoma State University Botanical Gardens |
| 2008 | Leader of the Pack Summer | North Carolina State, JC Raultson Arboretum |
| 2008 | Leader of the Pack Summer - Late Season | North Carolina State, JC Raultson Arboretum |
| 2009 | Excellent Rating | Boerner Botanical Garden |
| 2009 | Top Performer - Growers | Ohio State University - Columbus |
| 2005 | Best Grasses at the Zoo | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden |
| 2009 | Best of Breed - Summer | North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum |
| 2004 | Top Picks | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden |
| 2009 | Top Performer | University of Kentucky Arboretum |
| 2009 | Top Performer | Kansas State University |
| 2009 | Leader of the Pack - Early Season | North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum |
| 2006 | Bronze Medal | University of Illinois-Champaign County Master Gardeners |
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