Pampas grass

It's a testament to the beauty of pampas grass that something so invasive is still planted so widely. It's tall and produces spectacular 10-foot plumes in late summer. When backlit by the sun, few plants are more lovely.

To be its most showy, pampas grass needs full sun. Give it plenty of room to grow. It will stay somewhat in check in a lawn if you are mowing regularly around it. It will spread invasively in a flower bed, so try planting it in an old plastic garbage can with the bottom third cut off and buried so just the lip protrudes an inch or two above the ground. Do not plant in wild or naturalized area because it is likely to completely take over.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

7-10

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Height:

5-10 feet tall

Plant Width:

4-8 feet wide

Landscape Uses:

Beds & Borders,Privacy

Special Features:

Flowers,Winter Interest,Cut Flowers,Dried Flowers,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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Dwarf pampas grass

Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila' is a compact form of the species, growing to only 5 feet tall. It also has large feathery seed plumes.
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Plant It With

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Joe Pye weed

A plant as large as pampas grass calls for a tall companion such as Joe pye weed. The tall purplish stalks and blooms of Joe pye weed team well with pampas grass.

Russian sage

The airy purplish flowers on wispy silver Russian sage stems pair well with the white plumes and gray green foliage of pampas grass.

Goldenrod

Goldenrod adds a splash of color to a sunny late summer border anchored by the silvery plumes of pampas grass.

Propagation

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Seed
Division