Pennisetum villosum seed
LATIN NAME: PENNISETUM VILLOSUM
COMMON NAME: Feathertop Grass
On the dry slopes of north-east Africa and the near east, the feathertop grass grows as a neat, clumping, perennial grass with the narrow, arching, grey-green leaves and the dense, cylindrical, creamy-white, feathery flower spikes that rise above the foliage through the summer and age to a soft tan. The young plant grows into a flat-topped crown, around ten metres at maturity. Site it in full sun, in ordinary, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The feathertop grass appears in the studies of the ornamental grasses of the dry regions, its feathery white spikes keeping it in view in the work on the drought-tolerant grasses of the modern border and the grasses of the dry grasslands of the old world. The research looks at the way the arching leaves hold the drought, the feathery spikes shed the small seeds, and the seed biology of the light, bristly seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the sunny border and the dry garden, the feathertop grass waves the creamy-white, feathery spikes above the grey foliage and catches the low light of the evening. The tidy clump needs no fussing, and the plant makes the fine ornamental grass, the border accent and the drought-garden plant. It is a plant for the open, sunny, dry and free-draining place.
To grow the Feathertop Grass from seed, sow the small seeds on gritty, sandy compost and barely cover them.
Sow the small seeds on gritty, sandy compost and barely cover them, and keep the young grasses in the open, sunny spot. The feathery spikes wave through the summer.
LATIN NAME: Pennisetum villosum
COMMON NAME: Feathertop Grass, Feathertop, Longstyle Feather Grass
Feathertop grass is a grass of pure ornament, and its soft, feathery plumes are among the most graceful in the garden. It establishes itself as an upright, tufted clump, reaching thirty to sixty centimetres. It moves and ripples in the breeze, and it has become one of the most beloved ornamental grasses in the world, bringing texture, movement and light to the garden.
Feathertop grass belongs to the grass family, Poaceae, and it is native to northeastern Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. It is grown around the world as an ornamental, and it can sometimes be found growing wild where it has escaped from gardens.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing feathertop grass from seed is easy and very rewarding. The seeds sit in the fluffy flower heads, and they germinate readily in warm, light conditions, so sow them in pots of seed compost in spring, cover them very lightly, and keep them warm, bright and lightly moist. Germination usually begins within two to four weeks. Pot the seedlings on as they grow and plant them out in a sunny, well-drained spot, since the grass loves warmth and good drainage. The clumps will soon produce their soft, feathery plumes, and they will sway and shimmer in the garden from summer to autumn.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Feathertop grass has a genuine place in ornamental horticultural research. As one of the most popular ornamental grasses in the world, it has been studied in horticulture for its cultivation, its flowering and its value in garden design, where its soft, feathery plumes and graceful movement have made it a favourite for borders and containers. The grass has also been studied in ecology, since it is native to the dry lands of northeastern Africa and Arabia and has become naturalised in some regions, and researchers have examined its growth and its spread where it has escaped from cultivation. As a member of the large genus Pennisetum, it has also been studied in plant taxonomy. For a grass of such ornamental value and such graceful beauty, feathertop has a steady and interesting record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, feathertop grass is a generous plant of the warm garden. Its fluffy flower heads feed small insects, its dense clumps give shelter for wildlife, and as a native of the dry lands it thrives with little water.
Its economic value lies mainly in ornamental horticulture. It is one of the most popular ornamental grasses in the world, grown in borders, containers and garden designs for its soft, feathery plumes and its graceful movement, and it is also used in dried flower arrangements. For a grower, feathertop is an easy and beautiful grass, and for a gardener it brings light, movement and softness to the garden.
Pennisetum villosum
Common Names: Feathertop
P. villosum is a tufted perennial grass, often grown as an annual, with narrowly linear leaves and cylindrical, feathery, whitish-green panicles becoming purple with age
Grow in a light, moderately fertile, well-drained soil with good winter drainage. May need winter protection in colder areas
Foliage: Deciduous
Height: 0.1 – 0.5m Spread: 0.1 – 0.5 cm in 1 to 2 years
Planting Location: Flower borders and beds Cut Flowers City & Courtyard Gardens Coastal Cottage & Informal Garden Prairie Planting