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Napier Grass 'Princess' (Pennisetum purpureum): A Dwarf, Purple-Foliaged Elephant Grass

Napier Grass 'Princess', Pennisetum purpureum 'Princess' (PP17728), is a dwarf ornamental cultivar hybridized by Hanna & Ruter and introduced in 2007. It is a sister to 'Prince' (PP18509) with similar compact habit and deep purple foliage.

Compact Royalty

This selection forms a dense, rounded clump 3–4 feet tall. The leaves are broad, deep purple-black, holding color all season. It rarely flowers. Its compact size and intense color make it a versatile accent for beds, borders, and containers.

Culture

Full sun, fertile, moist soil for best color and growth. Warm-season grass, hardy to zone 8. In cooler zones, grow as an annual or overwinter indoors. 'Princess' and 'Prince' are the first dwarf, purple-leaved P. purpureum cultivars, revolutionizing tropical grass use in temperate gardens.

Family:	Poaceae (poh-AY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus:	Pennisetum (pen-ih-SEE-tum) (Info)
Species:	purpureum (pur-PUR-ee-um) (Info)
Cultivar:	Princess
Additional cultivar information:	(PP17728)
Hybridized	by Hanna-Ruter
Registered or introduced:	2007

Grasses and Bamboo: Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana); Purple Fountain Grass 'Rubrum' (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'); Oriental Fountain Grass 'Karley Rose' (Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose'); Purple Fountain Grass 'Fireworks' (Pennisetum setaceum 'Fireworks'); Switch Grass 'Dallas Blues' (Panicum virgatum): A Tall, Blue-Foliaged Native Grass; Switch Grass 'Dallas Blues' (Panicum virgatum): Duplicate Entry; Napier Grass 'Prince' (Pennisetum purpureum): A Dwarf, Ornamental Elephant Grass with Purple Foliage; Feather Reed Grass 'Eldorado' (Calamagrostis acutiflora): Gold-Variegated Upright Grass; Black Magic Taro (Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic'): Dramatic Dark Foliage; Elephant Ear 'Ruffles' (Colocasia esculenta): Ruffled Foliage

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