In landscape compositions, designers increasingly began to use decorative cereals. They find their application both in ordinary landings and in landscape style. Therefore, the spectacular foxtail pennisetum is gradually gaining the love of many gardeners and landscape designers.
Appearance and characteristic features of foxtail pennisetum
Foxtail Pennisetum (Pennisetum alopecuroides) belongs to the large Cereal family. This herbaceous plant invariably attracts the eye with its abundant panicle inflorescences. The height of a fairly wide bush ranges from 0.5 to 1 m. The leaf blades are narrow, bright green, in winter they turn yellow-golden.
Pennissetum foxtail is distinguished by decorative spikelets
Even in winter, the plant retains its decorative appearance until delicate shoots are damaged by snow. It is the foxtail pennisetum that exhibits the greatest frost resistance among other species of this plant.
Abundant inflorescences, spikelets of brownish color, appearing on the tops of arched or straight shoots, give the plant a resemblance to a flowing fountain.
For reference! Foxtail or Foxtail is the most common species of cirrus, growing in warm or temperate climates.
Varieties of pennisetum and their characteristics
The following varieties and varieties of pennisetum are most popular among flower growers:
- Pennissetum bristly (Pennisetum setaceum). Under natural conditions, grows in the African tropics and subtropics, in Arabia. Since this species is quite thermophilic, in climatic conditions of middle latitudes it is grown as an annual plant. The bush in height can reach from 0.7 to 1.3 m. The leaves are narrow and flat, and paniculate spikelets are loose, drooping. The inflorescences are either pink or purple. The variety got its name due to the presence of cirrus bristles covering the spikelets. Flowering occurs in the second half of summer.
- Pennisetum gray (Pennisetum glau). This variety is also called African millet. It is distinguished by burgundy narrow leaves. Thick dense bushes of the plant can reach a height of 2 m. The flowering period falls on the period from July to September.
- Shaggy Pennisetum (Pennisetum villosum). Inflorescences of this variety are distinguished by fluffy spikelets. Compared to other high-growing varieties, the pennisetum is shaggy rather low - it grows only up to 50-60 cm. For the climatic conditions of the middle strip, this heat-loving variety will not work - it will simply freeze. Therefore, here it will be possible to grow it only in containers. But in the southern regions, the plant feels great.
- Eastern Pennisetum (Pennisetum orientale). This species in natural conditions prefers rocky soil, the slopes of mountains and hills. Its maximum height can be 0.7-0.8 m. The leaves of the variety are folded along, fluffy inflorescences-spikelets of pink-purple color have long rough bristles. The variety is very heat-loving, so it is not suitable for cold climatic zones.
- Pennisetum simple (Pennisetum incomptum). This frost-resistant variety is not as colorful during flowering as other varieties. However, due to its unpretentiousness, early flowering period and rather high growth (about 1-1.2 m), a simple pennisetum is also popular among flower growers. It blooms in June and pleases the eye with its spikelets until September-October.
- Pennisetum rubrum. This variety is distinguished by the purple color of the foliage, which looks especially bright against the background of green grassy plants and shrubs.
Pennisetum does not tolerate frost
Features of caring for a pennisetum in the garden
The main feature of the penisetum is its thermophilicity. Therefore, in mid-latitude conditions, growing a plant will turn out only in the form of an annual one. And varieties that are more resistant to frost can winter in the open ground only with additional shelter and in the conditions of a warm winter. This must be remembered when growing this crop.
Important!Leaf-tailed pennisetum reacts very painfully to drafts and sharp gusts of wind, so it is better to plant a plant near buildings or fences that will serve as protection.
Also, do not transplant it too often - the plant does not tolerate the procedure well.
Watering
Too often it’s not worth it to water the flower pennisetum: a plant in natural conditions is more accustomed to drought than to excess moisture in the soil.
The best option would be to water in the absence of natural rainfall, maintaining the soil in a moist state and preventing moisture stagnation.
The soil
To the composition of the soil, this cereal is not particularly demanding. Only the frequency of top dressing will depend on its quality. The most important condition for successful crop cultivation is regular weeding and loosening of the soil.
Top dressing
If the plant is planted in rich, nutritious soil, then it will be possible to do without fertilizers.
But on sparse soils, to obtain a more decorative look, it is better to use liquid complex fertilizers. You need to do this once a month.
Attention! The application of mineral fertilizers is best done in moist soil after irrigation or rain.
Features of pennisetum care in the winter
Wintering of the pennisetum, especially of its thermophilic varieties, is a dangerous business. A delicate plant dies with insufficient shelter or severe frosts. Therefore, it is allowed to winter in the open ground only in mild climates and the root part must be insulated.
Pennisetum needs light and warmth
In cooler winters, the plant is grown as an annual. Planting in containers is also practiced, so that with the onset of cold weather it is possible to move the cereal plant into a warm and bright room.
On the issue of warming plants wintering in open soil, the opinions of gardeners differ. Some insist that the aerial part should be cut off under the root and the root system should be insulated with the help of spruce leaves, leaves or covering material.
Other gardeners, by contrast, believe that cutting the shoots for the winter is not worth it, as they will serve as a natural protection against freezing. It is only necessary to cover the shoots with spruce branches or foliage, and last year's branches can be removed only in the spring.
Pennisetum Bloom
Blossoms in the period from June-July until the first frost, depending on the variety. And even in the winter, the cereal has a very attractive appearance, preserving the decorativeness of foliage, and especially inflorescences.
Seed breeding
Pennisetum breeding using seeds in open ground is carried out in the middle-end of spring, when the soil warms up enough and the threat of night frost passes. Since the seeds are small enough, it is not worth deepening them: it will be enough to go over the top with a rake and moisten the soil.
After the shoots appear, they must be thinned out so that there is at least 0.8 m of distance between neighboring plants. To obtain earlier flowering, it is recommended to germinate the seeds in greenhouse conditions and plant in open ground already in the form of seedlings.
The attractiveness of penisetum bushes remains until the end of the season
Soil preparation
Description of the preparatory work required by the soil comes down to a thorough digging and loosening of the soil.
Note!Pennisetum does not tolerate excess moisture, so when planting it should avoid areas with a close occurrence of groundwater - this can be detrimental to this cereal.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
The method of propagation by dividing the bush is used when breeding perennial varietal plants, since reproduction by seeds does not make it possible to preserve all the characteristics of the parent plant.
Reproduction is combined with planting an old bush, the middle of which over time becomes not very attractive.
You need to divide the bush no more than once every 5-6 years. For this, the dug plant is neatly separated. Lateral dividers are planted as independent plants, and the middle of the bush is destroyed.
The easiest way to propagate a pennisetum is by dividing the bush
Possible growing problems
The foxtail pennisetum is growing in interest due to its high resistance to many diseases and pests.
Occasionally, with excessive moisture, a spider mite or aphid can affect it. In this case, the treatment of affected shoots with soapy water will help.
The use of pennisetum in landscape design
Pennisetum is used in a variety of landscaping options. It can often be found in mixborders, along the edges of flower beds, along fences and near houses. The plant also looks great on lawns, in rockeries and on alpine hills. Tall bushes of pennisetum look pretty impressive in single plantings near garden and park trees.
Foxtail pennisetum is a colorful backdrop for flowering shrubs and herbaceous plants. Its fluffy, abundant inflorescences bending to the ground sway and resemble jets of water when the wind blows.
Pennisetum looks spectacular in group landings
It is also possible to create beautiful rocky compositions in which the pennisetum plays the role of a large floral accent. You can also complement a similar composition with plants characteristic of the highlands (young plants, chistets, stone roses, lavender).
The foxtail pennisetum is a herbaceous plant with colorful spikelet inflorescences. Due to arched shoots bending to the ground and plentiful flowering, this cereal is often called fountain grass, since its shoots really resemble beating water jets.
The foxtail pennisetum exhibits the greatest winter hardiness among other varieties and varieties. However, in conditions of the middle lane, it must be covered for the winter. The pennisetum is foxtail unpretentious, and planting and caring for it will not cause any difficulties even for beginner gardeners.
