Dwarf Fountain Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'
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Dwarf Fountain Grass - #1 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 |
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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
Dwarf Fountain Grass highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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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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Fall Color
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Pollinator Friendly
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Pollinator Required
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodSummer, Fall

Growing Zones 5-9
Easy-style ornamentals, the Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln') is a fabulous accent in an easy-care landscape, try this compact grass for your landscape next time you are in need of a year-round garden accent! You'll love the graceful flower spikes and splashy foliage.
Narrow, arching leaves sway in the slightest breeze and truly grow a fountain-like appearance. Starting in mid-summer, bristly, buff-colored seedheads thrust up and out of the foliage. They'll shine and sparkle for you in sunlight, so be sure to use a few where the rays of the setting sun will touch them.
It's a great plant to use on the west side of a patio. The setting sun gilding the plants adds a wonderful display for you and your guests at the end of the day. Ornamental Grasses are gaining in popularity all over the United States, due to their undemanding nature and long-lasting, year-round beauty. There is nothing that adds such interesting forms, textures, and movement to a garden as grass.
The mature flowers last until winter freezes shatter the seed heads! The coppery russet fall foliage remains attractive throughout the winter, so wait until the spring to cut it back. Just watch as the pretty fountain of foliage turns bright green in early spring to welcome a new growing season. Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 5 through 9, these are very adaptable, small-scale Ornamental Grasses!
Planting and Application:
Use Hameln Dwarf Fountain in mass plantings, in large containers, or as an edging plant to soften the perimeter of a mixed shrub border. You'll get year-round easy care color without much maintenance to earn it! With a rounded, breezy, natural appeal, it will catch your eye for a long beat and visually bring texture, form, and color to your landscape year-round.
Dwarf Fountain Grass makes a great plant to use at moments of transition in your yard. It will soften the change from the front to the side yard, or from the patio to a path. It's also the perfect accent for any mixed perennial garden plantings. Establish a great perennial bed with Dwarf Fountain Grass along walkways, and paths, or as erosion control on a steep hillside. These are drought-tolerant enough to include in a Rock Garden!
You'll easily add a tremendous amount of texture to borders, foundation plantings or to fill open space in a mass planting. Plant 2 feet on center in a zig-zagging planting pattern to create a solid fill in a season or two. Measure from the center of one plant to the center of the next.
This is the ideal fill plant for commercial plantings because of its low maintenance requirements. It's tolerant of drought once established in your soil. Interestingly enough, Dwarf Fountain Grass will also tolerate wet conditions. Use it near water gardens or in Rain Gardens. Add it to dry or wet stream beds or around a pond.
Dwarf Fountain Grass is a perfect vertical element and thriller in containers. Add color and texture to a patio with containers repeating across the width or flanking on either side of a garden path. Try lining a staircase with a series of containers. Try a single plant to smaller containers to spill around the base of larger potted plants. Try this sophisticated, compact grass around the yard in containers.
Plant at least one in every garden bed. You'll tie your whole landscape design together. This eye-catching plant is so easy to grow. There are few gardens that can't use at least one of these dramatic little charmers.
- Deep-Green Splashy Foliage
- Buff Colored, Seed Head Plumes
- Dwarf Space-Saving Perennial Grass
- Foliage Looks Like a Grassy Fountain
- Coppery Fall Color & Year-Round Interest
- Great Accent in Perennial Borders, Containers, Borders & Specimens
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Pretty Dwarf Fountain Grass isn't fussy about soil requirements. They are drought-tolerant as well as insect and disease-resistant. Use Dwarf Fountain Grass in urban environments without fear. Give it full sun and well-drained soils. If planted in partial shade, little or no flowering will occur, but the beautiful foliage color will be consistent.
Warm-season grasses may green up later in the spring, but really shine once the hot, dry summer weather kicks in! Mulch with 3-4 inches deep around the plants will also help to keep the roots cool in the hotter summer locations. Prune down to 4-6 inches in early spring before you see new growth, and rake out the clump to remove dead debris and leaves.
- Full Sun
- Warm-Season Grass Variety
- Widely Adaptable - Drought Tolerant
- Well-Drained Soil - Avoid Over-Fertilizing
- Easy to Grow & Maintain
- Hardy Dwarf Perennial - Easy Care & Low Maintenance
- Prune Down in Early Spring & Divide in Late Fall or Very Early Spring
Order enough Dwarf Fountain Grass to complete your entire project today! Don't miss out on our inventory of these expertly-grown grasses. Order Dwarf Fountain Grass from Nature Hills today!
This selection does not come true from seed, but self-seeding is only a problem in certain regions that provide ideal growing conditions. Don't worry, Nature Hills uses Plant Sentry™ to protect communities against any plant material that may be regulated in your area.