Blowin' in the Wind

Back in June, I posted a segment on "Thrillers", those plants that are meant to take center stage in your mixed container or overall garden arrangement. One of the plants I mentioned was Pennisetum Rubrum or Purple Fountain Grass (shown here). At the nursery, you are likely to find all different kinds of grasses and they are very useful in adding variety to your containers but my hands-down favorite is this one. It's a plant-it-and-forget-it type of plant and earns a spot in my garden every year.

Purple Fountain Grass is hardy to zone 7 which would mean if planted in the ground, it would likely come back the next year for zone 7 residents. But since I plant in pots, I have to consider that my containers are more exposed to the elements. As such, I have found that only perennials that are hardy to zone 5 will reliably return for me every year. That's okay, I'm willing to spend the money on this plant (sometimes two or three of them) every year because it's that spectacular. It requires full sun to partial shade and blooms until frost. I love seeing the plumes when the breeze catches them.

Write this one down as a plant you can always rely on to be stunning even if the rest of your container fails miserably. Believe me, the feathergrass is the only thing anyone's going to notice.

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books