Pennisetum foxtail (Pennisetum alopecuroides) - planting and care

In landscape compositions, designers increasingly began to use decorative cereals. They find their application both in ordinary plantings and in landscape style. Therefore, the spectacular foxtail pennisetum is gradually winning the love of many flower growers and landscape designers.

The appearance and characteristics of the foxtail pennisetum

Pennisetum fox-tailed (Pennisetum alopecuroides) belongs to the large family of Cereals. This herbaceous plant invariably attracts the eye with its abundant panicle inflorescences. The height of a fairly wide bush ranges from 0.5 to 1 m. The leaf plates are narrow, bright green, in winter they turn yellow-golden.

Pennisetum foxtail is distinguished by decorative spikelets

Even in winter, the plant retains its decorative appearance until the delicate shoots are damaged by the snow. It is the foxtail pennisetum that shows the greatest frost resistance among other species of this plant.

Abundant inflorescences-spikelets of brownish color, appearing on the tops of arcuate or straight shoots, give the plant a resemblance to a flowing fountain.

Varieties of pennisetum and their characteristics

The most popular among florists are the following varieties and varieties of pennisetum:

• Pennisetum bristly (Pennisetum setaceum). Under natural conditions, it grows in the African tropics and subtropics, in Arabia. Since this species is quite thermophilic, in climatic conditions of middle latitudes it is grown as an annual plant. The bush can reach a height of 0.7 to 1.3 m. The leaves are narrow and flat, and the panicle spikelets are loose, drooping. The inflorescences are colored either pink or purple. The variety got its name due to the presence of feathery bristles covering the spikelets. Flowering occurs in the second half of summer.
• Pennisetum blue (Pennisetum glau). This variety is also called African millet. It is distinguished by burgundy narrow leaves. Dense dense bushes of the plant can reach a height of 2 m. The flowering period is from July to September.
• Shaggy Pennisetum (Pennisetum villosum). Inflorescences of this variety are distinguished by fluffy, airy spikelets. Compared to other high-growing varieties, the shaggy pennisetum is rather low - it grows only up to 50-60 cm.For the climatic conditions of the middle zone, this thermophilic variety is not suitable - it will simply freeze. Therefore, here it will be possible to grow it only in containers. But in the southern regions, the plant feels great.
• Pennisetum orientale (Pennisetum orientale). This species naturally prefers rocky soil, slopes of mountains and hills. Its maximum height can be 0.7-0.8 m. The leaves of the variety are folded lengthwise, fluffy inflorescences-spikelets of pink-purple color have long rough bristles. The variety is very thermophilic, so it is not suitable for cold climatic zones.
• Pennisetum incomptum.This frost-hardy variety is not as colorful during flowering as other varieties. However, due to its unpretentiousness, early flowering period and rather high growth (about 1-1.2 m), simple pennisetum is also popular among flower growers. It blooms in June and pleases the eye with its spikelets until September-October.
• Pennisetum rubrum. This variety is distinguished by its purple foliage color, which looks especially bright against the background of green herbaceous plants and shrubs.

Pennisetum does not tolerate frost

Features of caring for pennisetum in the garden

The main feature of the penisetum is its thermophilicity. Therefore, in conditions of middle latitudes, it will be possible to grow a plant only in the form of an annual. And varieties that are more frost-resistant will be able to winter in open ground only with additional shelter and in warm winter conditions. This must be borne in mind when growing this crop.

Also, do not transplant it too often - the plant does not tolerate the procedure well.

Watering

Too often it is not worth watering the pennisetum flower: the plant in natural conditions is more accustomed to drought than to excess moisture in the soil.

The best option would be to irrigate in the absence of natural precipitation, keeping the soil moist and preventing moisture stagnation.

The soil

This cereal is not particularly picky about the composition of the soil. Only the frequency of feeding will depend on its quality. The most important condition for successful crop cultivation is regular weeding and loosening of the soil.

Top dressing

If the plant is planted in rich, nutritious soil, then fertilization can be dispensed with.

But on poor soils, to obtain a more decorative look, it is better to use liquid complex fertilizers. This should be done once a month.

Features of pennisetum care in winter

Wintering the pennisetum, especially its thermophilic varieties, is a dangerous business. A delicate plant dies with insufficient shelter or severe frosts. Therefore, it is left to hibernate in the open ground only in mild climates and it is imperative that the root part be insulated.

Pennisetum needs light and warmth

In colder winters, the plant is grown as an annual. They also practice planting in containers, so that with the onset of cold weather it is possible to move the cereal plant to a warm and bright room.

On the issue of warming a plant wintering in open soil, the opinions of flower growers differ. Some insist that the aerial part should be cut off at the root and the root system should be insulated with spruce branches, leaves or covering material.

Other gardeners, on the other hand, believe that it is not worth cutting off the shoots for the winter, since they will serve as a natural protection against freezing. It is only necessary to cover the shoots with spruce branches or foliage, and it will be possible to remove last year's branches only in the spring.

Pennisetum bloom

Depending on the variety, it blooms from June to July until the first frost. And even in winter, the cereal has a very attractive appearance, preserving the decorative foliage, and especially the inflorescences.

Seed breeding

Pennisetum is cultivated with seeds in the open field in mid-late spring, when the soil warms up enough and the threat of night frosts has passed. Since the seeds are small enough, it is not worth deepening them: it will be enough to walk on top with a rake and moisten the soil.

After the emergence of shoots, they must be thinned out so that there is at least 0.8 m of distance between neighboring plants.To obtain an earlier flowering, it is recommended to germinate seeds in greenhouse conditions and plant them in open ground already in the form of seedlings.

The attractiveness of the pennisetum bushes remains until the end of the season.

Soil preparation

The description of the preparatory work that the soil requires is reduced to a thorough digging and loosening of the soil.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

The method of reproduction by dividing the bush is used when breeding perennial varietal plants, since reproduction by seeds does not make it possible to preserve all the characteristics of the parent plant.

Reproduction by division is combined with planting an old bush, the middle of which becomes not very attractive over time.

You need to divide the bush no more often than once every 5-6 years. To do this, the dug plant is carefully separated. Lateral divisions are planted as independent plants, and the middle of the bush is destroyed.

The easiest way to propagate pennisetum is by dividing the bush.

Possible growing problems

Pennisetum foxtail's growing interest in it is largely due to its high resistance to many diseases and pests.

Occasionally, with excessive moisture, it can be affected by spider mites or aphids. In this case, the treatment of the affected shoots with soapy water will help.

The use of pennisetum in landscape design

Pennisetum is used in a variety of landscape design options. It can often be found in mixborders, along the edges of flower beds, along fences and near houses. The plant also looks great on lawns, rockeries and alpine slides. The tall bushes of the pennisetum look quite impressive in single plantings near garden and park trees.

Pennisetum foxtail is a colorful backdrop for flowering shrubs and herbaceous plants. Its fluffy abundant inflorescences, bending to the ground, sway when the wind blows and resemble jets of water.

Pennisetum looks spectacular in group plantings

It is also possible to create beautiful rocky compositions in which the pennisetum plays the role of a large plant accent. You can also supplement a similar composition with plants typical for mountainous areas (rejuvenated, chisel, stone rose, lavender).

Pennisetum foxtail is a herbaceous plant with colorful spikelets. Due to the arched shoots bending to the ground and abundant flowering, this cereal is often called fountain grass, since its shoots really resemble gushing jets of water.

Pennisetum foxtail shows the greatest winter hardiness among other varieties and varieties. However, in the middle lane, it must be covered for the winter. Pennisetum foxtail is unpretentious, and planting and caring for it will not cause any difficulties even for novice florists.