Is Fountain Grass deer resistant?
Pennisetum alopecuroides
Plant typeOrnamental grassHardinessZones 6–9LightFull sun
Mature height24–72 in
BloomSummer and FallMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
About Fountain Grass
Soft bottlebrush seed heads that catch low autumn light better than any other grass here. It seeds around freely in warm regions, so deadhead if you want it to stay put.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 24 to 35 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Fountain Grass
Other ornamental grasss with the same deer rating.
- Big BluestemAndropogon sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Blue FescueFestuca glaucaZones 4–8Rarely damaged
- Blue Oat GrassHelictotrichon sempervirensZones 4–8Rarely damaged
- Clump BambooFargesia sp.Zones 5–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Feather Reed GrassCalamagrostis sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Giant Japanese Silver GrassMiscanthus floridulusZones 5–9Rarely damaged
Where Fountain Grass grows
Hardy across most of these 46 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Fountain Grass belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Fountain Grass
- Is Fountain Grass deer resistant?
- Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Fountain Grass grow in?
- Fountain Grass is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Fountain Grass grow in shade?
- No. Fountain Grass wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Fountain Grass get?
- Mature height is roughly 24–72 in. Growth rate is fast.