Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Grass
Shrub
Origin
Middle Africa
Central America, South America
Types
Perennial Grass
Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
152
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
-
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
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm243.84 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, 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
Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Dry, Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Wind
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
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, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
Malpighia emarginata
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
In Hindi
हाथी घास
Acerola Tree
In German
Elefantengras
Acerola Baum
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Acerola Arbre
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Árbol de acerola
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Acerola Δέντρο
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Árvore acerola
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Acerola Drzewo
In Latin
elephanti herba
Acerola ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Poales
Malpighiales
Family
Poaceae
Malpighiaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Malpighia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Paperveroideae
Number of Species
1-
1
27800
👆🏻