Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Sedge or Rush
Origin
Africa
North America
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Grass
Number of Varieties
75
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
Lake margins, Lake Sides, Lakes
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
-
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Cream
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Olive
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Long linear and narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Rhizome division, Seedlings
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full 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
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Aphids, Mealy bugs, Scale, Scale insects
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Itchiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Abscess, Snakebite, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Rhizomes, Root, Seeds, Shoots, Stem
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Bog Garden, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Schoenoplectus Tabernaemontani
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Grey Club-Rush, Great Bulrush, Softstem Bulrush
In Hindi
purple millet
Softstem Bulrush
In German
purple millet
Softstem Bulrush
In French
millet pourpre
Softstem Bulrush
In Spanish
purple millet
Softstem Bulrush
In Greek
purple millet
Softstem Bulrush
In Portuguese
purple millet
Softstem Bulrush
In Polish
purple millet
Softstem Bulrush
In Latin
purple millet
Softstem Bulrush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Cyperaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Schoenoplectus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
135
1
27800
👆🏻