Desert Plains Fountain Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Desert Plains'
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Desert Plains Fountain Grass - Quart Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
| From | To | S&H |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
| $20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
| $50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
| $70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
| $100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
| $130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
| $150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
| 4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
| 4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
| 6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
| 1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
| 5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
| #1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
| 5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| #2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
| #3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| #5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
| #6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
| #7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Desert Plains Fountain Grass highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Botanical Name
-
Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateMedium
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Pollinator Required
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodSummer, Fall
Growing Zones 5-9
A fluffy explosion of texture! The Desert Plains Pennisetum (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Desert Plains') is a hardy and graceful, Fountain Grass that makes a dazzling focal point in a sunny landscape! Desert Plains is a seedling of Cassian Fountain Grass but has an improved habit, better flowering performance, and richer fall color.
Desert Plains forms a stunning upright vase-shaped clump. This warm-season Fountain grasses' fine-textured leaves make a transition from green to deep red tips. Then Desert Plains bursts into bloom with its large, showy, 5-inch long, mauve-colored bottlebrush plumes in early fall! about 2 weeks later than Cassian. By then, the red-tipped blades transform into shades of orange and bronze in the fall.
Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 5 to 9 and grows into a rounded spiked mound 3-4 feet in height and width. Highly adaptable and xeric once established, Desert Plains lives up to its name with sheer adaptability!
Planting and Application:
Create fantastic accents and fountains of green and tan grassy plumes throughout the garden! Desert Plains adds lightness and a wonderfully contrasting fluffy spikiness to the landscape! Use this to your advantage for an eye-catching focal point or anchor to punctuate a garden bed! Accent a Rock Garden, or create a naturalized prairie planting by planting with other grasses and wildflowers! Or go modern with these grasses planted in strategically straight rows!
Plant as the thriller in a large planter or container for a fantastic specimen planting! Add some casters and enjoy wheeling your new shade or pinpoint privacy planting anywhere you need it in seating areas and on terraces, balconies, and even on either side of the entrance to your front porch steps in upscale urns, or dressed down in half whiskey barrels!
- Spiked Arching Green Foliage Features Red Tips
- Vase Shaped Slightly Cascading Plant
- 5-Inch Mauve Plumes in Autumn
- Bronze Foliage for Winter Interest
- Easy Care & Deer Resistant
- Specimens, En Masse & Groupings, Borders & Container Plants
#ProPlantTips for Care:
It is easy to grow and needs at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Once this ornamental grass is established, it takes on the heat, humidity, and punishing sun effortlessly. It’s drought-resistant, easy to grow, and deer resistant. Prune in early spring to clean the mound before it gets growing. Have patience with warm-season grasses because they're slower to get started but grow vigorously once temperatures rise.
- Full Sun
- Grows in Well-Drained Drier Soil
- Average to Low Moisture Needs Once Established
- Prune Early Spring
- Very Low-Maintenance & Easy Care
- Warm-Season Grass
Fluffy and spiked contrast, the incredible and adaptable Desert Plains Fountain Grass will be your garden's newest favorite accent! Order easy-care plants and perennials and enjoy having them delivered to your doorstep by NatureHills.com!
