Pennisetum caffrum

How to grow Pennisetum caffrum growing and care:

Well-drained soil, prefer rich soil with organic material

How to care:
Add organic matter and fertilize better to fertilize before the blooming season but not must, when the plant young (in case of seeds or late planting) better to protect it in the winter

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seeds / Vegetative Reproduction – daughter plant when the plant full grow better to separate after wet the soil in order to make it easier and to keep the roots as long as possible, in the beginning increase the amount of water for at least two weeks, better to do it with longer until the first leaf that grow.

Is it necessary to use vegetative reproduction?
No, but easier start by daughter plant than start from seeds

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Invasive, aggressive

Recommended planting season?
Spring to summer in hardiness zone 10b, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 11, all year in hardiness zone 12+

Pests and diseases:
Snails, slugs

Pruning season:
All year, better for design in winter

How to prune:
Dead leaves and dead bloom stems, old plants, just for design

Size of the plant:
30-60cm, 12-24 inches

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing / Medium growing

Water requirement:
Small amount of water, possible to let it without water for a long period, the plant can grow in regular amount of water and need more water especially in the blooming season but when increase the amount of water need to be good drainage

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun, can grow in less than half shade well, but then it will have less flowers

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No

Growing is also possible in a pot, planter, flowerpot, containers:
Yes, when grow in container possible to start by 5L (1.5 gallon) but it’s for few plants connected together, in order to get impressive and blooming plant need at least 15-20L (4-5 gallons), but in order to get flowers after few years need to check that the roots system not fill all the planter, if it’s full need to reduce that amount of plants and cut the roots or to increase the size of the container, except this need to pull old plants after having flowers, pruning the leaves and roots and reduce the amount of roots in the pots and let new roots to grow, every few years need to check the soil that it’s still viable and if not take care of the soil by washing the old soil and put new, soil better to have potting mix or something similar.

Blooming information

Bloom season:
All year, in cold climate not in the winter

General information about the flower
Yellow or red, the flowers like hair and grow stem in raceme inflorescence.

Scientific name:

Pennisetum caffrum