Pennisetum villosum Seeds | Feathertop Grass

Feathertop Grass (Pennisetum villosum) with soft white plumes above a low clump of narrow leaves — Feathertop Grass (*Pennisetum villosum*): Poaceae, a compact fountain grass from northeast Africa with downy white plumes.

LATIN NAME: Pennisetum villosum

COMMON NAME: Feathertop Grass

Plant Profile

Feathertop Grass is a clump-forming perennial grass, sixty to ninety centimetres tall, with narrow grey-green leaves and soft, downy white plumes that appear in midsummer and last into autumn. It is one of the smallest and most garden-worthy of the fountain grasses, and the plumes catch light in a way that few other grasses manage.

It is native to the dry lands of northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, in full sun on sandy, stony ground. It has naturalised widely outside its range, in California, Australia and southern Europe, which is a fair warning about its self-sowing habit in mild, dry climates. The leaves are flat and narrow, and they arch rather than stand stiffly, which gives the clump a soft outline.

Science & Biotechnology

Pennisetum has been reorganised into Cenchrus by recent taxonomic work, so the plant may appear in lists under either name. The plume is a dense panicle of bristled spikelets, and the bristles are what give the group its feathery look and its ability to catch on fur and clothing.

The genus is agronomically important: pearl millet, P. glaucum, is a staple grain across the Sahel and India, and several species are grown for fodder. Research on the ornamental species has concentrated on sterility and seed set, since fertile cultivars can spread wherever conditions suit them.

Uses & Benefits

In the garden it is used at the front of a border, in gravel plantings and in containers, where the plumes move in the slightest breeze. It is drought-tolerant once established and tolerates poor soil better than most ornamentals.

Cut plumes last well in water and are used fresh and dried in floristry. The plant has no medicinal or culinary use, and its main liability is self-sowing: in mild, dry climates seedlings appear in paving and gravel for years after planting. The seed heads feed small birds through the winter if they are left standing.

Growing from Seed

Sow in spring at eighteen to twenty-two degrees, barely covering the seed, since light helps germination. Keep the pot moist but not wet, and expect seedlings in two to three weeks. Divide the clump in spring if you want to keep a named form true.

Grow the seedlings on in full sun, and plant out after the last frost. Cut the clump back to the crown in late winter to make room for new growth, and remove the plumes before they shatter if you do not want seedlings coming up in the gravel. In cold districts treat it as a half-hardy annual and raise it afresh each year. Give it full sun, since in shade the plumes flop and the flowering is thin.

Our Take

One of the best small grasses for a dry border, with plumes that last for months. Deadhead it if your climate is mild, or you will be weeding it out for years. Cut it back hard in late winter and it will be neat again by June.

Herb Seeds