Plant in full sun and water sparingly to control height. It is both moderately drought and heat resistant but looks its best with occasional summer irrigation. This is a great ornamental grass with dark foliage that works well in mass plantings or mixed with other contrasting-colored plants. Like its red colored leafed cousin, Pennisetum x advena 'Rubrum', this cultivar looks its best if it is cut back in late winter to cleanly show of its new emerging foliage. This hybrid rarely seeds out but occasional seedling plants emerge in garden areas and seem true to the type.

This plant is a reversion of the variegated plant Pennisetum x advena 'Fireworks' that emerged in our nursery blocks. It is about the same stature as Pennisetum x advena 'Rubrum' but with foliage that remains entirely green. For many years these large semi evergreen Pennisetums have been listed by nurseries as a variety of Pennisetum setaceum, either 'Rubrum' or 'Cupreum'. While they superficially resemble Pennisetum setaceum, a declared noxious weed in the western US, these larger plants have in the past also been described by some grass taxonomists as being a selection of the more tropical Pennisetum macrostachyum. In the grass section of the Flora of North America, which includes naturalized and cultivated grasses, the specific name it is listed as in now Pennisetum advena. Dr. Joseph K. Wipff, previously with Texas A&M and now a turfgrass breeder, wrote the section on Pennisetum in the Flora of North America and has indicated that Red Fountain Grass is most likely a cross between Pennisetum setaceum and P. macrostachys and as a hybrid the name most appropriately should be Pennisetum x advena and this is how we have listed this plant. The Latin word 'advena' means "newly arrived" or "stranger". Pennisetum 'Rubrum', nor selections made from it such as the variegated clone 'Fireworks' or this reversion should not be listed as a cultivar of Pennisetum setaceum as this is not only incorrect, but it would also confuse these plants with a known noxious weed. 

The information about Pennisetum x advena displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.