Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Fruit, Shrub
Origin
Middle Africa
South America
Types
Perennial Grass
V. × heilbornii
Number of Varieties
150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
11-9
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
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Palmate
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
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
Remove shoots
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
-
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
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
Digestive disorders
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Fruits
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used in making champagne
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
In Hindi
हाथी घास
Babaco
In German
Elefantengras
Babaco
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Babaco
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Babaco
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Babaco
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Babaco
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Babaco
In Latin
elephanti herba
Babaco
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Brassicales
Family
Poaceae
Caricaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Vasconcellea
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
11
1
27800
👆🏻