Pampas grass, a giant grass

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Pampas grass is one of the most majestic grasses, but it’s also one of the most invasive.

Pampas facts, a summary

Name – Cortaderia selloana
Family – Poaceae
Type – grass, perennial

Height – 1 ⅓ to to 13 feet (1.5 to 4 meters)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – ordinary

Flowering – September to October

• Take note that this grass was planted the world over… now it has become invasive in many parts of it!

Planting Pampas grass

Preferably in spring or fall in soil amended with soil mix.

• Pampas grass loves sun.
• Luckily, it isn’t very sensitive to the type of soil it must grow on.
• Propagate it through crown division in spring.

Trimming Pampas grass

It’s up to you whether you want to keep the leafage and blooms in winter or not, because it can either be trimmed and evened out, or simply kept as is.

But since Pampas grass can quickly turn invasive if nothing is done, here is our advice on trimming it:

• Cut back the plant to the shortest at the end of fall, when the blades of grass and flowers have dried up.
• Mulch the foot of the plant with dried leaves if the winter is very harsh in your area.
• In areas with mild climates, simply cut the grass back to 20 inches (50 cm), no need to protect the base of the grass shoots.

Learn more about Pampas grass

This very ornamental and sometimes spectacular perennial sends up beautiful flowers scapes and panicles that tower at over 13 feet (4 meters) high. It’s a type of feather grass.

However, its beauty doesn’t make it any less invasive. In some areas of the globe, legislation is underway to actually ban its sale, because it tends to propagate extremely fast. It wipes out native plants entirely as it encroaches the land.

It is fine as a standalone, that’s what best highlights its uniqueness. But if you’ve got a lot of space available, you can also create large swaying plains of Pampas grass.

Upon planting, take great care not to plant too near a hedge or a neighbor’s plot, because it grows seriously large!

Read also:

• Propagate perennials through crown division
• Grasses, trendy and ornamental