Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Shrub
Origin
Middle Africa
Mexico
Types
Perennial Grass
Pink cestrum, Red cestrum, Purple cestrum
Number of Varieties
15175
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
gardens, High elevation, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-119-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-10
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, H2, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Magenta, Crimson, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Average Water Needs
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
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, 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
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bonsai, Hanging Basket, 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
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
CESTRUM elegans
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Crimson cestrum, Elegant poison-berry, Purple cestrum, Red cestrum
In Hindi
हाथी घास
Butterfly Flower plant
In German
Elefantengras
Schmetterlings-Blumen- Anlage
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
usine de fleur de papillon
In Spanish
pasto elefante
planta de la flor de mariposa
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
φυτό Πεταλούδα λουλούδι
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
planta de flor de borboleta
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Motyl Kwiat roślin
In Latin
elephanti herba
Flos plantae Gloria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Solanales
Family
Poaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Cestrum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
Cestreae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Browallioideae
Number of Species
1250
1
27800
👆🏻