Purple Fountain Grass: Annual or Perennial? Understanding Its Hardiness in Northern Gardens

Hardiness Zone Limits for Pennisetum 'Rubrum'

Purple fountain grass is hardy only to about 30°F (zone 8b+). In Pennsylvania (zone 5/6), it is an annual.

The crown freezes and dies. Cutting it back in fall does not change its hardiness.

Enjoy it for its graceful burgundy foliage and plumes from spring to frost. Replant each year.

It rarely survives indoors due to low light and dry air. Treat it as a disposable annual.

Annuals: Dividing Purple Fountain Grass for Container Planting; Overwintering Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum 'Rubrum') in Zone 7; Purple Fountain Grass and Dogs: Safety Assessment; How to Grow Fountain Grass from Seed; Reviving Dying Purple Fountain Grass; Landscaping with Purple Fountain Grass: Design Ideas; Purple Fountain Grass 'Rubrum' (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'); Purple Fountain Grass: Dramatic Color and Texture; Perennial Alternatives to Purple Fountain Grass; When to Plant Ornamental Grasses: Spring, Not Fall

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