'Hameln' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum)
Perennial
- Dwarf ornamental grass with fluffy plumes of flowers in late summer.
- Low maintenance, deer resistant, and easily grown in heat.
- Offers texture in winter, plus creates habitat for wildlife.
- Often used in borders, mixed beds, or small spaces!
- Zones 5-9, sun, 24" tall x 24" wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
'Hameln', like other fountain grasses, offers multi-season interest in the landscape. Its green foliage transitions to a rich gold hue in fall, continuing to add texture well into winter. It can be used as a striking border, and its dwarf size makes it versatile for a variety of landscapes, big or small. As an added bonus, it's easy to grow, thriving in full sun gardens. It's unbothered by deer, heat, and drought, making it an excellent low-maintenance option for gardeners of any skill level.
Details
Common name: Dwarf fountain grass
Zone: 5-9
Sun exposure: Sun (6+ hours sun)
Height x width: 18-24" X 18-24"
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Green
Season of Interest: Summer- Fall
Bloom time: Summer
Features: Suitable for slopes, space savers, rain gardens, privacy & screening, heat tolerant, deer resistant, container plants, best sellers
Uses: Accent, alpine and rock, container gardening, edging, erosion control or embankment, ground cover, massing, ornamental, rock garden, slopes, small spaces, under planting
How to Grow
Light: Full sun to part-sun. Best in full sun. Tolerates part sun, but may not flower in too much shade.
Water: Medium. Once established, will adapt to poorer soils with occasional drought. Occasional deep watering is needed during periods of drought in summer to keep the foliage from rolling and twisting, and it is common to see the tips of the foliage turn brown during these times.
Spacing: 18 - 24 inches
Fertilizing: Small amounts of fertilizer are needed for ornamental grasses. Too much fertilizer will increase the nitrogen level and that can lead to lodging or flopping over. The best time for applying fertilizer is in the spring, just as growth is resuming. About one -quarter cup, per item, of a 10-10-10 slow release fertilizer is enough to take care of the plant needs throughout the entire summer. For best results, make sure you thoroughly water in the fertilizer.
Winterizing: Can leave foliage standing for winter. Shear the dead portions back to 3-4 inches above the ground by late March to allow the new growth to emerge unhindered.
Maintenance & Pruning: About every 3-4 years, propagate by division of the clump into several pieces in early spring (after shearing the dead foliage away) and discard the center of the clump (and any other peripheral portions which have died).
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
Plants' soil was still wet when I got them. Planted..and can't wait to see them florish!
The plants arrived well packed and healthy looking
The order came quickly and packed well. I'm excited to plant them soon!
Plants are healthy arrived well packaged and delivered on time
They were very dry when I got them. One shriveled. I hope they make it
Hello! We’re sorry that you received plants that are not up to our standards. We try our best to provide excellent plants, but some factors, like shipping and handling, are outside our control. That’s why we have a 60-day guarantee on all of our orders. Please email your order number and pictures of your plants to us to start the claims process. We look forward to helping!
My plants arrived right on time and were in great condition. I unpackaged them immediately following their easy-to-follow instructions. As instructed I waited a few days to plant. They were the perfect size for me to be able to plant by myself. They are doing great. At first I was skeptical to order by mail but it truly could not have been a better experience. I would greatly recommend dealing with this nursery. The service, the product and overall support was fantastic!
Fountain grass I ordered came packed very well and in great condition. After two weeks it seems to be thriving. Anxious to see how it winters and how it takes off in the spring.
Arrived in great condition, very moist soil in August and texas delivery
Plants arrived, timely, and beautiful, and we’re just put in the ground the other day. Looking forward to watching them grow.
Recently received my 2nd order from this company and both orders were packaged very well. All plants arrived healthy and are still thriving in the ground. I understood the size description of the plants prior to ordering so I knew they’d be small. Was able to get many more plants for my money this way. I don’t mind being patient and watching them grow.
The plants I have ordered have been packed well, arrived quickly and were so health! Excellent customer service.
I received five of these small fountain grass plants in great packaging (late September 2024). They came packaged sheared and looking quite vigorous. I planted them a couple of days later, and they immediately started growing out their foliage. One of them even put out a couple of small blooms, which I wasn't expecting this year at all. I guess they like their new home. :)
Hamelin grass is virtually effortless. Low water requirement. Thrives in sun. Expands rapidly from a small plant to a voluminous spray in one season. Nice accent to a rock garden or grassy dry bed arrangement. Delivery and service are great with Great Garden Plants!
Very healthy and looking good in the area I put them.
They looked fairly healthy when they arrived. Hoping they remain healthy after planting. All of my other grasses I have purchased from GGP are doing wonderfully!
Patiently waiting for the grass to grow
Hello! We're sorry you're unsatisfied with your plants. Our customer service team would love to assist you. Please contact us at [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants. All orders are backed by our 60 day guarantee. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
Will orderbfrom you again. Plantsbwere a great size , healthy and are doing very well.
Growing well. It is the star of my patio-pots garden!
All 4 plants that I ordered arrived almost dead. I planted them anyways and they all 4 ended up dieing. Very disappointed.
Hi Deborah,
I'm sorry you received plants that are not up to our standards. Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line. Rest assured, we have a 60-day guarantee on all our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
The grasses I purchased have not grown to 24” tall or wide. I’m hoping that they are not done growing this year and for better results from them next year.
Hello! When transplanting young plants from a nursery pot to a garden, the plant allocates more energy to root development instead of shoot development (above ground). It's important for them to develop a robust root system so they can actually absorb the nutrients and water in the soil around them. Then after their root system is more developed they'll invest in their shoots development. They generally spend their first year growing roots in their new home, the second year they have more energy to put into growth, and the third year, they are growing and flowering vigorously. This applies to plants in the garden center as well as plants you purchase online. We hope this helps. Happy Gardening!
The plants arrived golden brown , I transplanted them and watered according to the directions. I have given them a lot of attention and have come to the conclusion that they are truly dead and probably were upon arrival I would like my money back I ordered one Hamelin grass from Amazon and it arrived in good health and it was green. I transplanted it and it is doing well. The grasses you sent me were probably dead at the time of packaging . This is not a good way to conduct business. This is my honest feed back , Patsy B
Hello! We apologize you received your plants not up to our standards. As we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors like shipping and handling are outside of our control, and issues like this can sometimes happen.
Please email pictures of the plant to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
Just what I wanted. Arrived timely, packaged well and in good shape. After a little rest planted.They are growing just fine.
all good
Love them they are growing great
'Hameln' Fountain Grass
We ordered the Hamelin Fountain grass. They have been in the ground for about 6 weeks and are progressing nicely.
We apologize you received your plants not up to our standards. As we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors like shipping and handling are outside of our control, and issues like this can sometimes happen. Please email pictures of any plant in question to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60 day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
I am hoping these plants grow VERY quickly as they are so MUCH smaller than I expected.
Packaged well seem very hardy.
We ordered 21 of those and we chose to get them ahead of the "normal" planting season for Florida. Success!!! The plants we received were very healthy and all of them rooted beautifully. Will definitely order from Great Garden Plants again.