Black Fountain Grass
Pennistum alopecuroides ‘Moudry’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Perennial Grass – Annual in zones north of 5a
Height at Maturity: 2′
Width at Maturity: 3′
Spacing: 24-30″ for mass plantings, 5’+ for space between plants
Spacing: 24-30″ for mass plantings, 5’+ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Grassy, Mounding, Arching, Clumping
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Flower Color: Near Black, Deep Purple
Flower Size: 6-8″
Flowering Period: Summer, Early Fall
Flower Type: Spike, Foxtail-like Plume
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Berry Color: NA
Sun Needs: Full Sun, Afternoon Sun w/Morning Shade, Morning Sun w/Afternoon Shade
Water Needs: Average
Soil Type: Clay(amended), Loam, Sandy(amended), Silty(amended)
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well-Drained to Well Drained Moist
Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.0
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer, Disease, Dry Soil, Heat, Humidity, Insect
Description
Black Fountain Grass is an easy to grow ornamental perennial grass that features nearly black, foxtail-like flower spikes in summer to fall that rise above graceful, arching mounds of green grass-like foliage. The texture and color of this grass will provide wonderful contrast when used among leafy shrubs, trees, and perennial plants.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide, Black Fountain Grass is ideal for use as an accent or in groupings or mass plantings in sunny landscape borders and home foundation plantings. Also very nice as an accent or centerpiece in container gardens surrounded by trailing flowering plants such as Calibrachoa (million bells). A fine addition to ornamental grass gardens, rock gardens, around garden ponds, and cut flower gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 24 to 30 inches apart for mass plantings; 5 feet or more apart for space between plants
How To Measure Total Square Feet Of A Planting Area
How Many Plants Needed To Cover A Planting Area?
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Zone 5a, where this Pennisetum grass is not winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Growing Preferences
Black Fountain Grass is very easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil of average to low fertility and full to mostly sun. Constantly soggy soil or standing water is problematic. Plants are quite drought tolerant once established. Maintenance is little to none. A damaged flower can be removed any time during the season. Foliage should be cut back near the ground annually before new leaves begin to emerge in late winter or early spring.
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Pennisetum Fountain Grasses.
How To Plant Pennisetum Fountain Grasses
How To Fertilize, Water & Prune Pennisetum Fountain Grasses
How To Measure Square Feet of A Planting Area
Determining How Many Plants To Fill A Planting Area
Plant Long & Prosper!
Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff >
Questions? Contact Us!
This is my second purchase of this grass. I purchase one last year and it grew into the most beautiful mound of grass. The seed heads are amazing; thick, long and soft. When I saw how beautiful the first turned out, I had to get another one, to put on the opposite side of the garden to balance it out. I live in South East Texas, very hot summers but fairly mild winters. Last years grass came back this year and it is just as gorgeous as the first year. This second grass arrived very well packaged and already bushing out. I was very pleased with what I got. Thank you so much. The grasses are in the front yard and I plan on creating a bed in the back yard. I hope I can get more of this grass in the future.—————————————–Thanks so much for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I have several grasses from you including the Muhlenbergia capillaris, pink muhly, which I saw on the Outer Banks, but thought I could never have. I now have 3 plus a Pennisetum alopecuroides, ‘Moudry’, and a Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’. When you have the Yellow Bird Magnolia back in stock, it will go in the middle of the triangle where the 3 white pines were cut, with grasses around. Yellow Bird is a hybrid with our native Magnolia acuminate. We had one of the cucumber trees, but it was too close to the porch and I had to have it cut about 20 years ago. I am also awaiting your restocking of The Rising Sun Redbud Tree. The plants arrived in beautiful condition.———————————We are so happy you are pleased with your purchases! Beth | WBG 🙂

























Reviews
There are no reviews yet.