Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mediterranean, Northern Africa
Southern Africa
Types
Erianthus ravennae, Saccharum ravennae
Perennial
Number of Varieties
19050
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
marshes, Riverbanks
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-98-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 6
10-8
Sunset Zone
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm61.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Silver
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
White, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Tan
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Tan
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Fall
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Vegetative
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water once every two or three weeks
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut back all stems to the same height
Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
0-10-10 NPK fertilizer
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Drought, Edema
Nematodes, Scale
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Noxious Weed
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control
Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Root
Other Uses
Cultivated for fodder
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
SACCHARUM ravennae
DIETES bicolor
Common Name
Hardy Pampas Grass, Plume Grass, Ravennagrass
African iris, Fortnight lily
In Hindi
Plume Grass
African Iris
In German
Plume Gras
Afrikanische Iris
In French
Plume Herbe
African Iris
In Spanish
Penacho de hierba
Iris africano
In Greek
Plume Grass
Αφρικανική Iris
In Portuguese
Plume grama
Iris africano
In Polish
Pióropusz Trawa
Afryki Iris
In Latin
Kessinger Grass
African Iris
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Asparagales
Family
Poaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Saccharum
Dietes
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Andropogoneae
Irideae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Iridoideae
Number of Species
400300
1
27800
👆🏻