Purple Fountain Grass plant profile
Pennisetum setaceum
An annual grass for full sun.
Last updated .
When to plant
When to plant Purple Fountain Grass
Purple fountain grass is a tender mounding grass that NC State notes is normally grown as an annual (it is hardy only in zones 9-11). Set out nursery plants in spring after the danger of frost has passed; it blooms from summer until frost. Note it self-seeds readily and is considered invasive in some southwestern coastal states.
The calendar shows this cited seasonal window as an approximate band. It does not convert the season into frost-adjusted dates.
Open Purple Fountain Grass in my garden calendarShows the source-backed planting season, not frost-adjusted dates.
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Full sun
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Spacing
- 36 to 72 in apart
- Hardiness
- Zones 9a to 11bFind my hardiness zone
Next steps
Continue with Purple Fountain Grass
Evidence trail
Evidence behind this profile
Original extension and institutional publications behind the planting, care, and safety facts on this page.
- Cenchrus setaceus (Purple Fountain Grass), formerly Pennisetum setaceum
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (NC State Extension). Supports general reference. Checked 2026-06-18.