Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Flowering Plants, Fruits, Herbs, Shrubs
Origin
Africa
Australia, South America
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Adams Elderberry, Black Beauty Elderberry, Black Lace Elderberry, Johns Elderberry, Nova Elderberry
Number of Varieties
70
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
Farms, Homesteads, Near organic waste disposal
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-114-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
8-1
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm9.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm8.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown, Cream
Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Compound
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Early Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Part sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Pollution
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Requires regular watering, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Part sun
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut or pinch the stems, No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune in winter, Prune ocassionally, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Canker, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Stem spot, Tomato Ringspot Virus
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Birds
Allergy
-
Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
constipation, Fever, Heart problems, High cholestrol, HIV/AIDS, Nerve pain, swine flu
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
-
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Sambucus nigra
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Elderberry
In Hindi
purple millet
Elderberry
In German
purple millet
Holunderbeere
In French
millet pourpre
Sureau
In Spanish
purple millet
Saúco
In Greek
purple millet
Elderberry
In Portuguese
purple millet
Sabugueiro
In Polish
purple millet
Bez czarny
In Latin
purple millet
Elderberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Dipsacales
Family
Poaceae
Adoxaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Sambucus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
130
1
27800
👆🏻