Hello, We purchased two 10″ containers of Purple Fountain Grass – Pennisetum Setaceum – to put in urns on our east facing front porch just for fall. We bought it because we really like the blooms. How can we make more blooms appear? Thanks
Thank you for your question about Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum,’ or Cenchrus setaceus ‘Rubrum’). This beautiful grass is grown as a perennial in warmer climates, such as USDA zone 9 or higher but will not survive the winter in Toronto which is USDA zone 5/Canadian Hardiness zone 6. The difference between the two systems is explained here. In Toronto, it is treated as an annual plant.
Purple Fountain Grass prefers the heat of summer and a part sun to full sun location. How many hours of sun will these grasses receive on your east-facing front porch? They may not receive as much sunlight as they require in order to perform their best and keep producing blooms. This Proven Winner blog describes part sun conditions: “When part sun to sun is listed for a plant, that means it will grow and bloom in both part sun and full sun conditions, meaning a minimum of four hours of direct sunlight. Since part sun means the plant needs some heat and intense sun to produce flowers, you would choose a spot where at least a few of those hours were in intense midday sun. Expect most part sun to sun plants to bloom most prolifically in full sun and produce fewer flowers in part sun.”
You may want to move the grasses to a spot where they will receive more sun, or keep them where they are and enjoy their graceful foliage and beautiful colour.