With its lush, bushy fronds of flowers gently swaying in the wind, pampas grass is a beautiful and thoroughly elegant ornament for the garden, front yard and patio. Read below how the sweet grass is best cultivated.

Pampas grass likes to have wet feet

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. origin
  2. growth
  3. height
  4. blossom
  5. heyday
  6. Colours
  7. Which location is suitable?
  8. balcony
  9. What is the best planting time?
  10. The right planting distance
  11. How do I plant correctly?
  12. Water pampas grass
  13. Fertilize pampas grass properly
  14. Cut pampas grass properly
  15. hardy
  16. hibernate
  17. Dig out
  18. Remove
  19. Grow pampas grass
  20. divide
  21. sowing
  22. Is pampas grass poisonous?
  23. tip
  24. sorts

    25. origin

    With such a plant name as 'pampas grass', the answer to the question of origin is of course obvious. In fact, the pampas grasses, botanically Cortaderia, come from the notorious Pampas, i.e. the southeastern steppe region of South America, which is known for its lonely, wild wasteland.

    From an ecological point of view, this region, which mainly includes Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, is a subtropical grass steppe with a temperate climate that is somewhat more continental in the interior. The pampas grass grows in alluvial and sandy soils in these regions and is generally quite adaptable. It thrives on dry soils in coastal areas as well as in humid and sun-intensive areas.

    Of the approximately 14 genus species, only the American pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana, is relevant here - the others are not available in the plant trade. It is also called silver pampas grass or simply pampas grass. Due to its adaptable, opportunistic character, it is fairly easy to cultivate in our latitudes, but it needs winter protection because the winters here are a bit too cold for it.

    Origin at a glance:

    • Pampas grass comes naturally from the South American pampas
    • It grows there on moist alluvial soils as well as on dry sandy soils
    • Adaptable to both dry and hot humid habitats
    • Only American pampas grass available from us - easy to cultivate except for only moderate frost hardiness

    growth

    Like many other ornamental grasses cultivated in gardens in this country, pampas grass belongs to the sweet grasses. It grows as a clumpy perennial with rather short leaves in relation to the long flower panicles. These are greyish-green in colour, narrow, relatively stiff and sharp-edged. Mainly due to the weight of the large blossoms, they overhang elastically in the upper section.
    Continue reading

    height

    The full height of the pampas grass is quite impressive in view of the leaves, which are actually not particularly tall and only about 80 cm long - at least during the flowering period. Because the long, bushy flower spikes allow the plant to reach a total size of 2.50 or 3 m. This makes the grass quite an impressive one, not only because of the lush appearance of the flowers.
    Continue reading

    blossom

    From an ornamental gardening point of view, the flower is the highlight of pampas grass. The huge panicle fronds not only have a high decorative value on the plant itself - they are also ideal as cuttings for decorative vase arrangements in the house. The panicle flowers have an ovate, elongated shape and are 30 cm to one meter long. The feathery spikes are up to 18 mm long and provide the typical swinging feather duster look.
    Continue reading

    heyday

    The pampas grass only produces flowers quite late in the year, in August. On the other hand, they last well into winter and give a magnificent picture on the frostier and bare days.
    Continue reading

    Colours

    As one of the German nicknames - silver pampas grass - suggests, the flowering panicles of the ornamental grass are usually in an elegant silver-white color, but yellowish or reddish-purple tones are also possible.
    Continue reading

    Which location is suitable?

    The pampas grass prefers a sunny location - the more light and heat it gets, the better the circumstances of its origin are met and the more comfortable the plant feels. Also, the location should not be exposed to strong winds, otherwise the stalks could buckle.

    The soil should be rich in nutrients and above all permeable. The pampas grass likes it sandy and humus best, loamy, heavy soil or locations where water can accumulate are to be avoided at all costs. The plant reacts fairly quickly to too much moisture with root rot, which can kill it. In addition, wet soil poses the risk of the root ball freezing too intensively and for a long time.

    It is best to plant the ornamental grass near the house, where it is somewhat sheltered from the wind and where there may be some debris in the soil. By mixing in good leaf compost, you can achieve the necessary humus content.

    Location claims in keywords:

    • As sunny and wind-protected as possible
    • Soil humic and well-drained, preferably a bit rocky and with some compost
    • Avoid locations where water can accumulate
    • It is best to plant near the house

    Continue reading

    balcony

    You don't have a garden or front yard, just a balcony or terrace? No problem - because you can also cultivate pampas grass in a bucket.

    Due to its quite impressive overall size and its large, clumpy root ball, you also need a large planter with a volume of at least 40 liters. A good drainage option is also important, of course, and last but not least the orientation of your balcony or terrace. A southern orientation is of course best for the sun-loving grass. Fortunately, the danger of strong winds on balconies and terraces close to the house is usually not really high.

    Also keep in mind that the pampas grass needs a lot of space. If you only have a small walled-in balcony in a condominium complex, it could be difficult to cultivate successfully.

    As a substrate, you should put together a humus-rich soil mixture loosened with sand and gravel for permeability.

    What should be considered in the balcony culture:

    • Use a large bucket with a volume of at least 40 liters
    • Plan lots of space
    • South-facing balcony or terrace ideal
    • Substrate humus and loosened with sand and gravel

    Continue reading

    What is the best planting time?

    It is best to plant a pampas grass in spring, but not too early. Because the ornamental grass grows better in mild temperatures and can react very sensitively to late frosts. Play it safe if you wait for the ice saints in mid-May.
    Continue reading

    The right planting distance

    Pampas grasses grow quite sprawling and clumpy. So make sure you leave plenty of space when planting it, especially since the grass is at its best in a solitary position anyway. In principle, it must be expected that the grass will expand by at least one meter in width as it grows. So plan to keep a distance of at least one meter from any neighboring garden plants.
    Continue reading

    How do I plant correctly?

    Especially in the front yard, a pampas grass can easily become too large due to its lush, clump-forming growth. It may also show itself to be ailing and dissatisfied with its location - in these cases a transplant is necessary.

    To transplant a pampas grass, wait for the milder days in spring. It is advisable to first cut back - this makes the plant easier to handle and you will not easily injure yourself on the sharp-edged stalks. First cut off the root ball in a circle and dig up the grass completely. You can also use this opportunity to reduce the root ball a little, if not divide it generously. Then put the piece that you want to continue cultivating in the old or a new planting hole with fresh substrate.
    Continue reading

    Water pampas grass

    In general, pampas grass copes better with drought than with too much moisture. You should therefore only water it in moderation. Especially in outdoor cultivation, additional watering is sometimes only necessary during longer dry periods in summer.

    Of course, if you keep the ornamental grass in the bucket, things are a little different. Here you should water regularly, but also here rather sparingly. It is essential to avoid waterlogging and make sure that watering or rainwater never stays in the saucer for a long time.

    To remember:

    • Additional watering, especially in outdoor cultivation, is only necessary during longer dry periods
    • Water regularly but sparingly when growing in tubs
    • Absolutely avoid waterlogging

    Continue reading

    Fertilize pampas grass properly

    You can certainly fertilize a pampas grass if you value a magnificent development of the flowers that are so full of character. Of course, this applies above all to specimens that are kept in buckets. Apart from the addition of compost, which you should mix in when planting as a long-term supply of nutrients, it is advisable to add organic fertilizer to the irrigation water every two weeks during the growth phases.

    To remember:

    • Fertilizing promotes magnificent flowering
    • Regular fertilizer application every two weeks with the irrigation water, especially when kept in tubs

    Continue reading

    Cut pampas grass properly

    Like most ornamental grasses, pampas grass is cut back entirely in spring. Since it is generally somewhat sensitive to cold - its tender new shoots are of course especially so - you should wait until later spring when the risk of longer late frosts has been averted. Cut the stalks about 15 to 20 cm above the planting ground. Be sure to wear gloves when working to avoid cutting yourself on the sharp edges of the stalks.
    Continue reading

    hardy

    The pampas grass is not completely hardy - in its homeland it is used to winter, but much milder than here. Even the varieties that are considered particularly robust therefore need winter protection.
    Continue reading

    hibernate

    Despite its not complete resistance to our winter temperatures, you can definitely cultivate a pampas grass outdoors permanently. Then, however, protective measures are definitely required as soon as severe frosts are announced. Above all, this includes tying the stalks together - this means that the plant is not penetrated so much by the cold air and - very importantly - there is no risk of too much moisture accumulating in the foliage. This can cause a lot of trouble for the plant. It is best to also wrap the grass in sackcloth or garden fleece.

    You can do the same with pampas grass in a bucket. Here, however, it is cheaper to overwinter the plant in a frost-free interior or - if available - in a cold house.
    Continue reading

    Dig out

    Transplanting or removing a pampas grass is going to be a backbreaking job. The strong, clumpy root ball has to be cut off all around and the large plant lifted out of its planting hole. That requires quite a bit of strength. Use a spade that is as sharp as possible.
    Continue reading

    Remove

    If you want to remove the pampas grass, you can of course make the excavation work a little more careless and rough than if you want to move the plant. After all, you don't need to get the whole bundle of grass out in one piece, but can also work in stages, i.e. cut off individual pieces one after the other and pull them out.

    You can make it even easier if you water the soil thoroughly and for several days before removing it. This softens the planting ground and the root ball. If you water continuously for a long time, you can also deliberately cause the root ball to rot. This is of course a somewhat unfriendly removal method, but it makes digging up much easier.
    Continue reading

    Grow pampas grass

    If you want to put several pampas grasses in different places in your garden, it can be very decorative. However, the ornamental grasses that work best as solitary animals should be relatively far apart from each other. This is how they can best unfold their decorative effect at their locations.

    Propagation is easy to do because, like most ornamental grasses, you can easily divide the pampas grass. Since it quickly gets too big in the garden anyway, it usually has to be decimated by cutting off from time to time - this is also an opportunity for propagation to take place.

    In principle, however, seed cultivation is also possible. More on both methods follows in the next two sections.
    Continue reading

    divide

    Like all clump-forming grasses, pampas grass is best propagated by division. The best time to do this is late spring, when the danger of the last cold spells has been contained. Because a sectioned piece needs mild temperatures to grow.

    Simply dig out a piece of the mother plant with a spade and place it in a prepared planting hole or in a tub to grow, depending on whether you want to propagate the plant in your own garden or give a piece to a hobby gardener friend. If you have a cold house available for growing the divided piece, you can also carry out the division propagation in the fall.
    Continue reading

    sowing

    In principle, propagation by seed cultivation is also possible, but it is not really recommended. On the one hand, sowing is a lot more complex and time-consuming than division propagation, but on the other hand the result can not really be worthwhile.

    Because when growing seeds, the more original plant characteristics tend to come to the fore - with pampas grass, this is disadvantageous, especially in terms of winter hardiness. Because the specimens that have been vegetatively propagated in local nurseries for a long time have become more and more frost-resistant over time. Of course, this property is worth preserving - by cloning the mother plant.

    If you still want to grow a pampas grass from seeds, you can do this in small pots with potting soil from March. The temperature for germination is around 20°C. The location should be bright but not intensely sunny. Do not cover the seed with soil, because the pampas grass needs light to germinate. It is best to cover the growing trays with foil to ensure an evenly warm and humid microclimate. After a maximum of two weeks, the seedlings should appear. Then you can lift the foil and prick out the young plants when they have reached a certain size.

    You can also try sowing directly outdoors. By then, however, the temperatures should be stable and mild. With this variant, you also have fewer chances of germination because you must not cover the light-germinating seeds here either, which means that they are a favorite food for birds.
    Continue reading

    Is pampas grass poisonous?

    The good news first: the pampas grass is not poisonous, neither for humans nor for animals. So any parent and/or pet owner needn't worry about their protégés when considering putting a specimen in the garden.

    In another respect, however, there is a little concern for the safety of curious toddlers - namely because of the very sharp blades of the pampas grass. They can cause severe cuts - so make sure small children are not playing near the plant unsupervised. You should also always wear gloves and sturdy, long-sleeved clothing when caring for it, especially when tying it up for the winter, pruning it back in the spring or dividing it.
    Continue reading

    tip

    The oversized, feather duster-like panicle flowers of the pampas grass not only look beautiful on the plant. They can also be wonderfully arranged as natural cut flower decorations in the house. To do this, cut flowers that have not fully opened and let them dry in a cool, dark place for two days. Then you can, for example, put them in a tall vase filled with sand.

    sorts

    Pampas grasses with quite different appearances and growth characteristics are offered in specialist shops. These are almost exclusively female specimens because they form more beautiful flowers. This is one of the reasons why it is advisable to use the division method when propagating. The varieties differ mainly in the color of the flowers and in the growth height.

    Pumila

    This variety is particularly common in gardens.It is one of the rather small varieties of pampas grass and is only about 1.50 m high. In addition, it shows a particularly compact growth. This makes it particularly suitable for smaller gardens in which overhanging plants would appear disproportionate.

    The flowers of the Pumila do not appear until August at the earliest. They are white and turn brown in autumn.

    The Pumlia is considered to be quite robust, but it is still sensitive to waterlogging.

    rosea

    As the name suggests, the Rosea is a variety with pink flowers. Especially in combination with the silvery, grey-green leaves, it has a particularly romantic effect and can lead to nostalgic dreams from the end of summer until well into late autumn.

    Its growth is significantly taller and also looser than the Pumlia: it reaches a height of around 2.50 m.

    Sunningdale Silver

    The Sunningdale Silver is a particularly impressive variety of pampas grass: it can grow up to 3 m in height and produces elegant silver-white flower spikes on taut, upright, grey-green stems high up. They appear from August or September and persist into the winters.

    Continue reading

Category:

Herbs