Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Africa
United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Texas, Mexico, Caribbean
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Ornamental Grass
Number of Varieties
720
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
marshes, Riverbanks, Sandy areas, Tropical rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-115-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
12 - 5
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm150.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Light Yellow, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Cream
Light brown, Light Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Red, Dark Green, Dark Red, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Wet Site, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season
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
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Borers, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
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
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Insects
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Leaves
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Animal Feed, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Groundcover, Mixed Border, Water Gardens, Wildflower
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
TRIPSACUM dactyloides
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Eastern Gamagrass
In Hindi
purple millet
पूर्वी Gamagrass
In German
purple millet
Eastern Gamagrass
In French
millet pourpre
Gamagrass Orient
In Spanish
purple millet
Maicillo del Este
In Greek
purple millet
Ανατολική Gamagrass
In Portuguese
purple millet
Gamagrass Oriental
In Polish
purple millet
Eastern Gamagrass
In Latin
purple millet
Orientalium Gamagrass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Streptophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Tripsacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
11
1
27800
👆🏻