Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Africa
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Saccharum officinarum
Number of Varieties
736
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
agricultural areas, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
12 - 9
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
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
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Wet Site, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
High
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Water Deeply
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
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune ocassionally, Remove dead branches, Remove Ferns
Fertilizers
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Equal amount of N,P,K, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Beetles, Fusarium root rot, Head smut
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Butterflies, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Diabetes, Sleepiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Maintains teeth healthy, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Aging, Antidepressant, Aphrodisiac, Appetite enhancer, Diuretic, Fatigue, Muscle Pain, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Leaf Stalks, Leaves, Stem
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Animal Feed, Biomass for fuel, Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Sometimes used for making wine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Edible, Feature Plant, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
SACCHARUM officinarum
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Sugarcane
In Hindi
purple millet
गन्ना
In German
purple millet
Saccharum
In French
millet pourpre
Canne à sucre
In Spanish
purple millet
Saccharum
In Greek
purple millet
Saccharum
In Portuguese
purple millet
Cana-de-açúcar
In Polish
purple millet
Saccharum
In Latin
purple millet
Saccharum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Saccharum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
136
1
27800
👆🏻