Most people are familiar with pampas grass’s large clumps of lush, grass-like foliage and creamy white feathery plumes (though pink varieties are available too)

Cortaderia selloana, the fancier-sounding official name for pampas grass, is a tall-stemmed flowering grass native to Southern California. It grows in a range of neutral colours, including silvery grey, light beige, and golden wheat. It is considered an invasive weed in some areas and is even prohibited in New Zealand due to its prolific seeding.

The majestic plumes of perennial pampas grass have inspired poets while also infuriating environmentalists. In both cases, for good reason.

First, what are the benefits of pampas grass? The poet Edna St. Vincent Millay lamented the cold, dark days of late autumn, when the “feathered pampas-grass rides into the wind, like aged warriors westward, tragic, half their tribe thinned.” In other words, winter has arrived when the resilient pampas grass begins to look tired in a landscape. In other seasons, 13-foot-high clumps of snowy plumes wave buoyantly.

How to Grow Pampas Grass

Before planting pampas grass, make sure it has plenty of room to grow, especially if you’re going to plant more than one. When mass planting pampas grass, keep the plants 6 to 8 feet (2 m) apart.

Pampas grass prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade. It also tolerates a variety of soil types but prefers moist, well-drained soil. Another advantage of growing pampas grass is its resistance to drought, wind, and salt sprays, which is why it is commonly found along coastal areas.

How to Care for Pampas Grass

Once established, pampas grass care is minimal, requiring only watering in times of extreme drought. It should also be pruned to the ground every year. This is typically done in the late winter or early spring. Because of the plant’s sharp foliage, pruning should be done with caution, wearing gloves and a long-sleeved shirt.

However, with proper precautions (for clumps far from homes and buildings), you can burn the foliage down to the green growth without harming the plant. While not required, pampas grass can benefit from a balanced fertiliser after pruning to stimulate regrowth.

How to Preserve the Beauty of Pampas Grass?

After they have dried, spray them with hairspray to make them last longer and to act as a sealant. This also ensures that they do not shed grass seeds. Pampas are simple to grow and plant, and many people appreciate the natural decor provided by the dried plumes. In the living room, you should ideally use pampas grass. The plume is a nice touch, and the whole thing is stunning.

There is no shedding when it is thoroughly sealed. Despite the fact that it provides no real benefits, pampas grass is used as a decorative item in any room of the house. You can use it all winter long. While pampas grass can be used for three years before it needs to be replaced, it is important to dust around it to prevent allergies. Shedding may be possible with time, so keep the area around the pampas grass clean to avoid problems.

Pampas grass can be used to make a beautiful decor item, and the best part is that it can be large or small. These grasses do not produce flowers, but they are natural and appear in the summer. For a few weeks, hang them upside down and check them every day.

Types of Pampas Grass

There are various types of pampas grass available. Although the majority of these pampas grass plants are Selloana species, the common name pampas grass is also used by several other species. Here are some of the most common types of pampas grass, as well as other ‘imposter’ plant types, that you can use in your garden.

• Original Pampas Grass Cortaderia selloana ‘Aureolineata’ (Gold Band)

This Gold Band Pampas Grass variety is known as a slow-growing and compact evergreen plant. It can reach a height of more than 6 feet and gets its name from its slender leaves with narrow yellow stripes. The flowers produced by these female plants can range in colour from golden tan to white. It is also said to be more erect and compact than the ‘Monvin’ variety and to be more tolerant of cold and hot temperatures. This variety’s characteristics make it suitable for planting in containers.

• Cortaderia selloana ‘Aureolineata’ (Silver Stripe)

This silver stripe grass is a white pampas grass that looks a lot like the Gold Band variety. The one notable difference is that it has white stripes in its leaves and is topped with a feathery panicle of blooming flowers that are white in colour and have a silver sheen.

• Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila’ (Dwarf Pampas Grass)

This Pumila is a dwarf pampas grass that grows to a maximum height of 6 feet and flowers in a variety of colours ranging from ivory to pale yellow. Some suppliers may be able to assist in preventing the grass from spreading uncontrollably by providing on-reseeding plants.

• Cortaderia selloana ‘Sunningdale Silver’

This pampas grass variety is distinguished by its silvery flowers. Furthermore, rainfall has no effect on this pink pampas grass. This is the most common because its panicles are less dense and less prone to clumping than other varieties. This variety’s stems can grow to be more than 10 feet tall, which is quite impressive. Having said that, it is critical to space these plantings several feet apart to prevent invasive spread. This could aid in your development.

• Cortaderia selloana ‘Rosea’ (Pink Pampas Grass)

Many subpar seedlings are marketed as pink pampas grass. The appearance of this grass, on the other hand, is far from adequate. Its rosy pink blooms bloom from midsummer to fall and are produced by its densely clumped foliage. In addition to these plumes, it can reach a height of 6 feet.

• Cortaderia selloana ‘Silver Fountain’

This is a white pampas grass with long, green leaves that are densely packed together. These leaves look like the Silver Stripe. Not to mention the large heads of silvery and silky flowers that adorn the tall stems of this variety. These flowers typically bloom in late summer.

• Cortaderia selloana ‘Splendid Star’

The Splendid Star is a dwarf variety with beautiful gold-streaked leaves. This is a hardy pampas grass that grows well in large containers and makes an excellent border plant. Furthermore, fluffy white panicles adorn the flower stalks.

• Cortaderia selloana ‘Monvin’ (Sun Stripe)

The Sun Stripe is known as being an excellent border plant and has several stripes along with its leaves. The plumes can also grow up to 7 feet tall and feature tipped silvery-white flower panicles during the fall time. This variety is also commonly used as a windbreak in many gardens.

• Cortaderia selloana ‘Patagonia’

This Patagonia is an unusual species with gray-green foliage. This is presented in the form of tussocks. This variety’s flowers can reach 6 feet in height and have silver and feathery white flowers. This is mostly found in the autumn.

• Cortaderia selloana ‘Silver Comet’ (White Pampas Grass)

This Pampas Grass cultivar, also known as Silver Comet, is best known for its stunning leaves rather than the flowers that bloom from it. These leaves have white striations on the edges, making the white flower plumes appear dull in comparison. These flower plumes are commonly removed from grass pampas to enhance the unique appearance of the incredible and unusual leaves. Not to mention, when grown in the right zone with the right weather and soil conditions, this pampas grass (Silver Comet) can grow up to 6 feet tall.

• Cortaderia jubata ‘Purple Pampas Grass’ (Andean Pampas Grass)

The grass ‘pampas’ is not limited to Selloana species. There are numerous other varieties available. This includes Cortaderia jubata, also known as purple pampas grass or Andean pampas grass. This pampas grass plant can reach a height of 22 feet, making it one of the tallest varieties available. This height is unquestionably impressive. However, it is the purplish and pinkish hues of the flower plumes that distinguish these grass pampas. When the flower plumes mature, they turn white and ivory, enhancing the overall appearance of the planting. Purple pampas grass cultivars are female plants that reproduce through apomixis. This is in contrast to division or seed, implying that the spread of this plant is extremely invasive. This grass, pampas, is considered an invasive weed on the west coast of the United States and the Hawaiian Islands.

• Saccharum Ravenna ‘Erianthus’ (Hardy Pampas Grass)

This variety is commonly known as hardy pampas grass, but it is not genuine pampas grass. It is, however, similar, and it forms thick clusters of tall ornamental grass that can grow up to 12 feet tall. It has white or silver flowers in the winter and purplish-braze flowers in the early summer. The leaves of this plant typically have a single white stripe down the centre and turn red or bronze in the winter. Another invasive variety.

When to Plant Pampas Grass?

If you want to start growing from seed, you should use flats or cell packs instead of direct sowing. In addition, you should plant your seed in well-draining soil and try to start this process indoors in the middle of winter. You’ll want to press the seed into the soil’s surface, but don’t cover it. This type of seed generally requires light to germinate, and it takes between 14 and 28 days for germination to occur when kept at 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pampas grass is known to form from a mix of androgynous and female plants, both of which require a germinating seed. As a result, pampas grass seeds collected in the wild may be unable to germinate. This is why you should buy the pampas grass seeds you intend to plant.

When it comes to planting divided pampas grass, you’ll want to transplant these seedlings in the spring after the last hard frost has passed. You can plant these seedlings earlier in USDA zones warmer than zone 7, as long as these zones are not prone to damagingly cold temperatures.

How to decorate your place using pampas grass?

• Seasonal Upgrade

Creating a seasonal spread for your banquette makes each season feel special — even if you live in coastal California, where seasons feel like a myth invented by the Northeasterners.

• Black-Wall Drama

Black walls are stunning — and totally trendy. However, achieving such a striking hue necessitates a keen sense of colour and contrast. If you want to create a mysterious and moody atmosphere, this plant is a must-have.

• Hollywood Glamour

Perhaps using this trend correctly is a well-known Australian trait. The Melbourne showroom of Scandinavian furniture brand Fred International combines floaty pampas grass with old Hollywood glamour — and the result is stunning.

• Amplify Neutrals

For the majority of the decade, “neutrals” meant a few very specific things in terms of colour. It is primarily intended to be all white with a few bold accents. We’ve recently moved away from beige tones as a society. But only for a short time. Waving grassy stalks add a lush, gentle texture to this open space. These florals are the ideal transitional piece between the all-white modernism of the early 2010s and the all-black modernism of the late 2010s.

• Let Millennial Pink Shine

We’re not ready to give up blush pink just because we want a different shade of neutral. This gorgeous colour is still sleek and modern, and it makes a cosy backdrop for a small space. To bring out the soft colour, pair it with warm browns and fluffy pillows. Pampas grass strewn against the wall adds just the right amount of natural texture to complete your boho-chic look.

• Even Out Oversized Vases

Buying oversized vases has become an unbreakable habit for some of us. What are we going to do with them? No clue! Do we still desire them? At all times! Fortunately, the trend provides the ideal vase filler. Place a larger-than-necessary vase on the floor of your living room and let those stalks shine. The feathery plumes add an airy feel to any space.

• Turn Your Bedroom into A Retreat

Your bedroom should be a refuge from the outside world. Every inch must feel deliberate, and every accent must be carefully chosen. After you’ve feng shui’d the space into a zen-like state, some pampas grass could send your meditative space into nirvana. Every morning, these cloud-like stalks will bring a smile to your face. Place them next to your mirror to give the impression that you’re getting dressed.

• Pair Pampas with Pecans

You don’t have any huge, oversized vases to display your newly acquired pampas grass? Don’t worry, fellow enthusiast. Fill a large glass jar halfway with pecans to make a personalised pampas grass display.

• DIY a Wreath

Wreaths aren’t just for the holidays. They add a splash of colour to your door all year, and a pampas grass wreath is a lovely way to mark the end of summer and the start of autumn. Making your own wreath allows you to show off your creativity to the rest of the world — and this do-it-yourself project allows you to do just that.

• Update Your Mantel 

Finding the right decoration for your fireplace mantel can be tricky, especially if you admire the dramatic. Pampas grass appears to be the ideal complement. These have a subtle tone-on-tone effect, with just a hint of blush to add interest.

• Add Oomph to Your Tablespace

There’s a reason pampas grass was a popular wedding trend in 2018: it looks stunning floating above your elegant tablespace. These wavy grasses are anything but plain — just a few stalks will make your ordinary dining room look opulent.

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