Life Span
Perennial
-
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
Middle Africa
Southern Africa, South Africa
Types
Perennial Grass
Shrub
Number of Varieties
1536
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Forest margins, Grassland, Mountains, Pastures, Rocky Ridges, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-118-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-7
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Light Green, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Use and maintain water-efficient soaker hoses, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Birds
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Diarrhea, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Culinary use, Employed in herbal medicine, Used as a dye, Used as a spice, Used in paper industry, Wood is used for making furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
RHUS lancea
Common Name
Elephant Grass
African Sumac
In Hindi
हाथी घास
अफ्रीकी एक प्रकार का पौधा
In German
Elefantengras
African sumac
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
sumac africaine
In Spanish
pasto elefante
zumaque africano
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Αφρικανική σουμάκι
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
sumac africano
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
afrykański sumaka
In Latin
elephanti herba
African sumac
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Poales
Sapindales
Family
Poaceae
Anacardiaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Rhus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Anacardioideae
Number of Species
136
1
27800
👆🏻