Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Africa
Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Mediterranean, Turkey, Western Asia
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Mountain silverbell , Rosea
Number of Varieties
73
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
Floodplains, low mountains, Lower slopes, secondary forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-115-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
9-5
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm25.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
White
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
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Acuminate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Layering, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
occasional watering once established
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
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
Prune grass to maintain level, 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
Pests and diseases free
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought and Salt
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
-
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
-
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Decoration Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
ORNITHOGALUM nutans
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Drooping Star-of-Bethlehem, Nodding Star-of-Bethlehem, Silver Bells
In Hindi
purple millet
Silver bells
In German
purple millet
Silver bells
In French
millet pourpre
Silver bells
In Spanish
purple millet
Silver bells
In Greek
purple millet
Silver bells
In Portuguese
purple millet
Silver bells
In Polish
purple millet
Silver bells
In Latin
purple millet
Silver bells
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Ebenales
Family
Poaceae
Asparagaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Halesia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
14
1
27800
👆🏻