Pennisetum setaceum rubrum

I think pennisetum rubrum is my favorite 'workhorse' plant...in fact, it may be my favorite plant of all. When people ask that question, "What is your favorite plant?", my usual thought is that's such a silly question since I could never narrow it down to one. But this morning I think I've narrowed it down to one. It simply makes everything else look good, it can be used anywhere. With tall yellow anigozanthus / Kangaroo Paws...wow! With pink roses, with centranthus ruber,with oenothera berlandieri/ Mexican Primrose, with Oakleaf hydrangea/ hydrangea quercifolia, all other hydrangeas, leonotis leonurus/ Lion's Tail (wow!). It's is just the most useable plant for me. It looks good with everything I can think of. This one is large in stature because it used to get much more water, now with less water, in dryish mode, it's taking on the dustier coloring which Ilike also:

I like the subtle color variation when mixed with other grasses:

It looks good just sittin' around in pots with other like minded plants...'cause let's face it, we always have some plants just sittin' around in pots.....

This week DH put up a new patio roof off of the DS's bedroom and these two tubbed bamboos got pushed to the side,out of the way and this a.m. I realized that rather than move them elsewhere ('cause they're heavy suckers), I've got some pennisetums and some (salvaged from the streetside) wooden boxes to put them in to fill in this corner. There's a hardly seen yellow Kangaroo Paw in there also and I think I'll pick up some more Kangaroo Paws to add to this corner. Pennisetums to the rescue......

This also gave me the incentive to pull out and stain/ assemble another Adirondack chair from Harbor Freight. They come sort of unassembled in a box and it's best to stain /paint them before assembling. I have a couple of Adirondacks that I payed $200 per chair for and I like them. I also have Adirondacks from Harbor Freight for which I paid $25 each and they're quite comfortable and given the price difference, I'm sure Ilike the HF chairs better. The HF chairs are put together with small screws and while it is not an elegant look, it works fine for me and they're cheap enough that I can have them sitting aroundin groupings all over the property. I would not reccomend buying the already painted chairs as the two that I purchased seem to have been painted while the wood was still green and they've peeled and twisted. These chairs go on sale periodically and when they go on sale again, I'll be buying somemore...

I love your pennisetum, WC. They're beautiful. The pinky flower heads look a little like ruby grass to me. The only thing about the plant is that I've seen it used in commercial applications a lot (where I live in the OC) and they whack it back to a brown, orb-shaped mass that's very unattractive when it's not in it's full glory. As a result, I'm reluctant to use it. I've seen a green version up in the San Fernando Valley with blonde flowerheads that was very pretty, but I can't find it anywhere in any nurseries.

The pennisetum needs to be cut back every winter/early spring to rejuvenate. Sunset says it really should be cut back in Sept. also. I've debated that whole thing lately...the plants that need to be cut back and thus look bare for awhile opposed to plants that look good year round, but I love the grasses anyway. I love chasmanthium also, for shade, but the bunnies eat it here, so mine is tubbed. I've yet to see a grass that I don't want.....
edited to add that all of my salvia leucanthas and salvia Anthony Parkers need to be cut back in Spring also...actually, I guess I have a whole lot of stuff that needs cutting back yearly, no wonder I'm so tired....

This message was edited Jul 26, 2009 1:42 PM

"I love the grasses anyway. I've yet to see a grass that I don't want..."

Amen, wc!

Looking good, Sherry. I can see why you call it a workhorse.