About

Compact, deciduous, clump-forming, perennial grass, about 1m tall. It has flat, linear, mid-green leaves, which develop rich, dark red tips, then increasing in shades of red and yellow in autumn. Airy sprays of tiny, red-green flowers are produced from mid-summer to early autumn.

About the genus

Panicum can be annual or perennial, evergreen or deciduous grasses, with flat, narrowly lanceolate leaves, with large finely branched panicles of small spikelets in late summer or autumn

Growing conditions

SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH5

Plant details

Plant typeGrass Like
HabitClump forming
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Prairie planting, Wildlife gardens

Care notes

CultivationGrow in any moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. See ornamental grasses cultivation
PruningRemove dead foliage and old flowered stems in spring
PropagationPropagate by division in mid-spring
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free