Culture
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 9-10 where it is easily grown as a perennial in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best performance is in full sun. In St. Louis, it will not survive winter and is typically grown as if it were an annual. Although species plants can be grown from seed each year new plants are typically purchased from nurseries each spring for planting in the garden after last spring frost date. Technically plants can be dug in fall, trimmed and overwintered in greenhouses or indoors in sunny cool areas, but many gardeners simply prefer to purchase new plants each spring. Plants may need some staking or other support and should be sited in areas protected from strong winds. Provide consistent water throughout the growing season.
‘Fireworks’ is a patented plant that does not set viable seed.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Pennisetum setaceum is a tender perennial fountain grass that is native to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East. It is a rapid-growing, clump-forming grass that produces arching, linear, narrow green leaves to 3’ tall and late summer flower spikes that rise above the foliage to 4’ tall. In warm areas where in may be grown as a perennial, it readily self seeds. In colder areas it dies in winter. Location means everything. Overall clump appearance is reminiscent of water spraying from a fountain, hence the common name.
Genus name comes from the Latin penna meaning "feather" and seta meaning "bristle" in reference to the flowers having long, feathery bristles.
Specific epithet means bristled.
'Fireworks’, sometimes commonly called purple or red fountain grass, is an herbaceous, clump-forming, ornamental grass featuring upright culms and leaves that cascade in a vase-shaped form. It typically grows 3-4’ tall. The arching leaves are variegated with longitudinal stripes of burgundy, hot pink, green and white. Showy, fluffy, burgundy-purple flowers in bottlebrush-like spikes (to 12” long) bloom above the foliage clump in June and remain on the plant until frost, gradually turning pale brown as they mature. Flowers spikes are ornamentally attractive but do not set viable seed. This cultivar was discovered as a culm sport of Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ in Leola, Pennsylvania in spring of 2004. U.S. Plant Patent PP18,504 was issued on February 19, 2008.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Specimen, group or mass. Attractive foliage and flower spikes of this ornamental grass provide excellent texture, color and contrast to borders, foundations and open areas.