Pennisetum 'Hameln'

Pennisetum 'Hameln': Compact Fountain With Fuzzy Foxtails

Fuzzy bottlebrush plumes in silvery white with a pink blush, bobbing like a row of kittens' tails. 'Hameln' is compact, tidy and impossible not to touch. PETTING IS ENCOURAGED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'
• Common Name: Dwarf Fountain Grass
• Height: 50–70 cm (20–28 in) in flower
• Spread: 60–90 cm (2–3 ft)
• Flowers: Fuzzy, bottlebrush plumes in silvery white blushed pink, aging to tan
• Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October)
• Foliage: Narrow, arching bright green blades that turn golden yellow to russet in fall
• Features: Holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit

Where to Plant: Its tidy size makes it easy to place: edge a path, line a sunny walkway or repeat it through the front half of a border. It also looks great in mass plantings and large containers, especially where low evening light hits the plumes.

Companion Plants: Use compact 'Hameln' in a sunny, dry bed with orange ice plant, rose coneflowers and blue globes. Delosperma 'Jewel of Desert Grenade' carpets the front at 10 to 15 cm with orange-red flowers from May to September. Echinacea Prairie Splendor™ Compact Rose adds rose-pink coneflowers at 35 to 40 cm from June to September. Perovskia 'Blue Jean Baby' brings lavender-blue haze at 70 to 85 cm from July to September. Echinops 'Blue Glow' adds spiky steel-blue globes at 90 to 120 cm in July and August.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average, well-drained soil. It tolerates some shade but flowers less. Set the crown at or slightly above soil level, because soggy soil can rot it, so avoid low spots in heavy clay. Water through the first season, then only during long droughts. Leave it standing through winter for structure and crown protection. In early spring, before new growth starts, cut the clump back to about 8–15 cm (3–6 in). If the centre starts to die out after a few years, divide it in spring.

History: 'Hameln' is the most widely sold cultivar of Pennisetum alopecuroides, a warm-season grass native to eastern Asia and Australia, and it reseeds less than many types. It holds the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Final Thoughts: Plant a row along the path and the whole street will follow it home. Deer stay away. NO FLUTE REQUIRED.