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Fountain Grass: Ornamental Grass, Purple, Landscape Design, Seeds And Plant Care

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Published: December 4, 2007

Fountain Grass may provide a more colorful touch to the landscape design, as its rich color only glows under a midday sun. It is often used as a specimen or an accent and may also be added along with other garden peripheries on natural areas and formal settings. Even in poor soil conditions, it continues to bloom, making this ornamental grass a favorite among artists and gardeners. This ornamental grass also captures the heart of nature lovers because of its rich color, foliage, shape, and texture. Its popularity in architectural and landscape design may be attributed to its high tolerance for drought and faster growth. Apart from its vibrant purple colors and plumose flowers, Fountain Grass is also inedible to animals, which helps resist further damage.

Fountain Grass is a perennial plant hailing from the Middle East and the Atlas Mountains. It is found in many forms of natural habitat as it thrives in wide range soil types and survives most water and rainfall conditions. Fountain Grass naturally forms a tuft of blades and flowers, making it ideal for garden arrangement and landscape design. It also goes by the name Water Fountain Grass, Magic Tail Grass, and Pearl Heads. The color of its flower usually changes from whitish purple to a darker shade of coppery purple and may also vary from rose to pink for other types. On the other hand, the color of its leaves may change from green to brown when nearing the end of fall. The fruits of Fountain Grass have a distinct shade of purple or lavender, while the texture of this ornamental grass is known to be fine and wispy. Once the growth is established, the Fountain Grass can be maintenance-free. But in order to secure its rapid growth, plant care is highly important.

Even in drier, warmer areas, Fountain Grass may thrive in abundance. It is also known to compete with other species in surviving the natural conditions. A good characteristic of most types of ornamental grass is that they have lower requirements for soil fertility. However, exposure to sunlight is also important from full sun to partial shade. For the roots to grow, watering the plants is essential during the first season after planting. Not only will this affect the quality of growth, this will also help nurture the harvesting of its seeds. Like the seeds of other ornamental grasses, Fountain Grass seeds usually aid in widespread propagation. For proper plant care, water supplements are sometimes needed at times of intense drought.

Though Fountain Grass requires little to no maintenance, spacing should still be observed for proper plant care. This will enhance the visual appeal of a garden or landscape design as well as help other plants achieve their optimum growth. The ornamental grass may be divided during spring at the sign of a new growth or at the end of fall or the summer season.

Some landscape artists may refuse to cut back the ornamental grass. They say that it adds a touch of beauty when left standing, while the foliage may insulate the plant's crown. However, the foliage should still be cut down from four to six inches as this plant care method may lead to a budding growth in spring.


Sources:
Purple Fountain Grass Seeds - Royal Color. Local Harvest. 1999-2007. 28 Nov. 2007
http://www.localharvest.org/store/item.jsp?id=25 68

Ornamental Grasses. 2007. University of Illinois Extension. 2007. 28 Nov. 2007. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/grasses/perennial_fou ntain_grass.html

"Fountain Grass." 2007. Wikipedia.13 Oct. 2007. 28 Nov. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_Grass

Fountain Grass - Pennisetum Rueppelii. Outsidepride.com. 28 Nov. 2007. http://www.outsidepride.com/store/catalog/Fountain -Grass-p-17379.html
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