Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Africa
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Sporobolus heterolepis
Number of Varieties
715
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
Hay fields
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-113-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
10 - 2
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm50.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Cream
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Tan, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Medium
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
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Prairie Dropseed
In Hindi
purple millet
prairie dropseed
In German
purple millet
Prärie Dropseed
In French
millet pourpre
prairie dropseed
In Spanish
purple millet
dropseed pradera
In Greek
purple millet
λιβάδι dropseed
In Portuguese
purple millet
pradaria dropseed
In Polish
purple millet
łąka dropseed
In Latin
purple millet
PRATUM grama
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Sporobolus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
110
1
27800
👆🏻