Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Africa
Mediterranean, Northern Africa
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Erianthus ravennae, Saccharum ravennae
Number of Varieties
7190
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
marshes, Riverbanks
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-116-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
9 - 6
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Purple, Silver
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Cream
Purple
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
White, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Purple, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Purple, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Summer, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Vegetative
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Water once every two or three weeks
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut back all stems to the same height
Fertilizers
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
0-10-10 NPK fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Drought, Edema
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Birds
Allergy
-
Noxious Weed
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Borders, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Leaves
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Cultivated for fodder
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
SACCHARUM ravennae
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Hardy Pampas Grass, Plume Grass, Ravennagrass
In Hindi
purple millet
Plume Grass
In German
purple millet
Plume Gras
In French
millet pourpre
Plume Herbe
In Spanish
purple millet
Penacho de hierba
In Greek
purple millet
Plume Grass
In Portuguese
purple millet
Plume grama
In Polish
purple millet
Pióropusz Trawa
In Latin
purple millet
Kessinger Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Saccharum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
1400
1
27800
👆🏻