Meet the Pampas Grass
Pampas Grass | Cortaderia selloana
How do you know it’s me?:
I am a large ornamental grass.
I have a clumping and weeping form.
My leaf blades are long, narrow, and arching.
The edges of my leaves are sharp and serrated.
My blooms extend well over my leaves on thick stalks. They are silvery or creamy white, with a soft, feathery texture. They can be up to 12 feet tall!
How big do I grow?: 6’ - 12’ height and 4’ - 7’ spread.
Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Full sun.
Where I prefer to put my roots: Well-drained soil. I am adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions, including sandy soils. I am drought and salt tolerant.
Hardiness: Zone 7-10. More cold-hardy varieties are recommended in zone 6, such as ‘Andes Silver’ or ‘Pumila.’
Original home: I am native to South America.
Colors: My blooms are typically white, though they can have a pink blush.
When I bloom: Late summer and fall.
Wildlife friends: Other than providing shelter and nesting material for birds and small mammals, I do not have any significant wildlife value.
Flora Fun Facts: My flower plumes are prized for flower arrangements, both fresh and dried. Harvest my flowers right after they emerge, but before they mature for best use in an arrangement.
More Info: In late summer through fall, when this grass produces towering plumes of white fluff, it can’t be missed.
A member of the Poaceae (Grass) family.
This grass is considered highly flammable, so it is not recommended that it be planted close to buildings.
There are cultivars with pinkish-tinged flower plumes, multicolored (variegated) foliage, or a dwarf growth habit.
The female Pampas Grass plants produce much showier plumes than the male plants. Most of what can be found in the nursery trade are female plants.
A great selection for slope stabilization, in a coastal landscape, as a focal plant, and against a backdrop of evergreens.
Pruning in late winter to a few inches above the ground will make room for new growth. Long sleeves and gloves are recommended while pruning due to the sharp leaf blades.
This is considered an invasive plant in California, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii…but not in the southeast US.
