Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Broadleaf Evergreen, Grass
Origin
Middle Africa
Mexico
Types
Perennial Grass
Otatea acuminata ssp. acuminata, Otatea acuminata ssp. aztecorum, Otatea acuminata 'Dwarf'
Number of Varieties
1520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-119-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
10 - 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
H1, H2, 9, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Green, Yellow green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Long linear and narrow
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Divison
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Average Water Needs, Never Over-water
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
Clay, 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 every year, Prune to control growth, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Aphids, Mealybugs
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Flowers
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Mealybugs
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Landscape Designing, 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, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
OTATEA acuminata
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Clumping Bamboo, Mexican Weeping Bamboo
In Hindi
हाथी घास
मैक्सिकन बांस
In German
Elefantengras
Mexican Bambus
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Bamboo mexicaine
In Spanish
pasto elefante
bambú mexicana
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Μεξικού μπαμπού
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Bamboo Mexican
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Mexican Bamboo
In Latin
elephanti herba
Mexicanus Bamboo
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Poales
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Otatea
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
155
1
27800
👆🏻