Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tender Perennial
Origin
-
Southern Africa
Types
-
Perennial
Number of Varieties
350
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds, Riverbanks
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-118-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
10-8
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, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm61.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Sandy Brown, Tan
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gold
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long slender
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Soil test crop response correlation (STCR) based integrated fertilizer
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Curvularia blotch, Downy mildew, Rust
Nematodes, Scale
Plant Tolerance
Salt
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Removes pimples
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Appetizer, Heart problems, Tonic
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Root
Other Uses
Animal Feed, Fibre, Food for animals
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum
DIETES bicolor
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
African iris, Fortnight lily
In Hindi
बाजरा
African Iris
In German
Perlhirse
Afrikanische Iris
In French
Perle Millet
African Iris
In Spanish
El mijo perla
Iris africano
In Greek
μαργαριτάρι Κεχρί
Αφρικανική Iris
In Portuguese
milheto
Iris africano
In Polish
Pearl Millet
Afryki Iris
In Latin
Pearl milium
African Iris
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Asparagales
Family
Poaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Dietes
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Irideae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Iridoideae
Number of Species
140300
1
27800
👆🏻