Pampas grass is a large ornamental in the Poaceae (grass) family originating from South America. Large, dense, grassy mound, 6-10' x 6-10'. It prefers full sun and can add texture to a garden. These grasses produce tall, slim, weeping blades that can easily reach over a meter in length. The grass tends to congregate into tussocks, or clumps of grass. The showiest part of these plants is the tall silvery-white, feather-like plumes. These plumes are soft to the touch and make for an interesting accent in a garden which can be seen very well over other plants. Tolerant of wide range of soils, coastal and sandy conditions, is highly salt tolerant, drought tolerant, and is highly resistant to deer grazing. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil and it needs abundant water and fertilizer during growing season. It can be weedy. See native alternatives to the left. Proper spacing for these plants is about 10 feet apart. Best used as a specimen standing alone or against a backdrop of evergreens. Showy blooms in late summer and fall and are good in cut and dried arrangements. Quick ID Hints : Leaves areelongated, whip-like, very sharp on edges Inflorescence is like a silvery-whiteplume ofr group of feathers Leaf midrib not white as miscanthus Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The blades of this grass have very sharp edges and is highly invasive in some areas of the United States
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Herbaceous Perennial; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet | Very Dry
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 9 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High; Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Clumping; Weeping
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Sheath
Leaf margin
Serrate
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Narrow leaf blades are very sharp. Numerous, whip-like, very sharp serrated margins
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Gray/Silver; Pink; Variegated; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Good Dried; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
Tall, white-silver feathered plumed spiklets, look like feather plume, 1-2' above mound. Silver-white plumes with a pink blush; remains attractive until mid winter; good in dried arrangements; female plants produce more showy plumes than male plants