Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Middle Africa
South Africa
Types
Perennial Grass
-
Number of Varieties
155
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Tropical regions, Well Drained, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-117-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
10-5
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
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm2.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
White, Light Pink, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Long Narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Dry soil, Shade areas
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Budding, From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Keep ground moist, Never Over-water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune ocassionally
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
fertilize in fall, Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Bacterial leaf spot, Nematodes, Purple Blotch, Red blotch, Seedcorn maggot
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Dry soil, Shade areas
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Bugs, Flying insects, Insects
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Dermatitis, Pain and fatigue
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes, Used in parkland
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Indoor Air Purification, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Acne, Aging, Antidepressant, epilepsy, Nerve pain, Obesity, Vomiting
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Bulbs
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Animal Feed, Can be made into a herbal tea, Oil is used in mosquito repellents, Use in Chinese herbology, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
TULBAGHIA violacea
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Society Garlic
In Hindi
हाथी घास
लहसुन
In German
Elefantengras
Knoblauch
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Ail
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Ajo
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
σκόρδο
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
alho
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
czosnek
In Latin
elephanti herba
allium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Liliales
Family
Poaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Allium
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Monocotyledonous
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Lilioideae
Number of Species
1500
1
27800
👆🏻