Avant Yard: pampas grass--10 reasons to grow it & love it
- by Diane Rixon on Mar 28th 2008 8:00AM
- Filed under gardening and plants, landscaping, Avant Yard

Here are a few reasons why I love pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana):
1. It grows fairly fast, so is an ideal choice for filling in large, barren landscapes.
2. It grows nice and thick, creating an effective privacy screen, wind break or sound barrier.
3. Its long, graceful blades and delightfully fluffy pannicles (flower plumes) are beautiful.
4. Its vertical angles evoke the tropics, bringing an exotic feel to suburban yards and otherwise drab mall parking lots. Its long blades also create a dramatic and pleasing visual contrast with other garden shrubs and trees. Meanwhile, its rounded and slightly wild shape makes it an excellent softener of hard urban surfaces, like brick walls or metal signs. (See the photo above for a perfect example of this.)
5. It is tough. Pampas grass is pest-resistant. It is also highly drought-resistant and, once established, never needs watering. It will grow in most soils, too.
6. It attracts wildlife. Birds, reptiles, insects, and small mammals all find refuge in any large garden plant. Anytime you grow something big and dense, you are encouraging wildlife in your neighborhood.
7. Low to no maintenance. Yes, you can shear ornamental grasses each winter so that new growth comes out clean in Spring. You can do this every other year or less often if you like. However, you don't need to do any of that if you don't want to. The worst that will happen is your grasses will look a little messier if left uncut.
8. It's pretty cheap. I've seen big pots of pampas grass for sale at the Home Depot for about $10. My local garden center is selling them right now for about $6 (small one-gallon pots) or $13 (large three-gallon pots). Not bad value considering its eventual size.
9. Kids love to play with the flower plumes. They are so soft and fluffy! And the stems make great swords for the more war-game-oriented kids.
10. It will grow on hot slopes where nothing else will. Much better than a thinning, dry lawn, huh?
Location, Location.
First, pampas is suited to warmer climates and is recommended for US zones 7 to 11. Pampas grass prefers a sunny spot, but will tolerate a certain amount of shade. It needs well-drained soil and will not grow in soggy ground. You don't need any fancy soil amendments to grow pampas grass -- any old garden soil will do fine. (Low-maintenance gardening: don't you love it?!)
Second, the end of your driveway is not a good spot because pampas grass grows so big it will inevitably obstruct your view of the road...and other drivers' view of you as you leave your driveway.
Third, another size-related caution: be sure the location you choose allows plenty of room for your pampas grass to spread out. It needs a space about 10x10 feet in order to reach maturity without crowding out other plants.
If those last two concerns are a problem for you, never fear: a miniature variety of pampas grass is readily available. Or consider another, smaller, species of ornamental grass, such as maiden grass or fountain grass.
Planting Tips.
Choose your planting site carefully and measure the spot just to be double-sure it is roomy enough. Let me repeat: this plant grows big and wide! Next, start digging. Now, as is always the case when planting trees, shrubs or ornamental grasses, dig a nice wide hole. Aim for a hole about three times wider than the plant's root ball.
Depth is less important. You will know the hole is deep enough when the ground is level with the crown of the plant. Break up large chunks of soil as you go. There is no need to add organic material or fertilizer.
Next, prepare the plant. Water it well, then gently slide it from the pot. Examine the roots. Ornamental grasses tend to have tough, tightly-woven roots. You will want to loosen them to speed the growth process. Pry the roots loose with a blade, cutting through when necessary. Then spread the roots outwards.
Place your plant in the ground and examine it from all angles. Make sure it is sitting straight and that it is facing forward. Check the roots a final time, then water thoroughly. Now it's time to fill in the hole with soil. When you're done, tamp down the loose dirt so the plant is nice and secure in its new home. Water again, then mulch well.
That's it! You're done. Now just wait and see how your pampas grass takes to its new location. Don't forget to water it regularly for the first few weeks. Over the next few months, water it whenever there is a long dry spell. Do this to help it along until the roots are fully established. After that, it should need no human help whatsoever.
Check out my photo gallery for a visual guide to planting pampas grass!
Finally, the Downside to Pampas.
Some people consider pampas grass to be a bit evil. Here's why:
1. It is flammable. Not a good choice for those living in wildfire-prone areas! If you live in such an area and really want one anyway, be sure to plant it as far as possible from your or any other houses.
2. It can be invasive, self-seeding everywhere. This is less of a problem if your pampas grass is surrounded by lawn, because regular mowing will whack the tips off seedlings before they become established.
3. The blades have razor-sharp edges. This is one plant you don't want near your home's entrance way or anywhere you might be brushing against it on a regular basis. Instead, keep it for that out of the way spot where you can admire it from a distance.







Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-30-2008 @ 11:57PM
ana said...
One draw back with this plant is that each blade of grass is just that, a blade, and with give (paper like) cuts if you brush up with your leg or other body parts.
Reply
5-29-2008 @ 11:24PM
JR said...
I was thinking it would be nice to plant a row of pampas grass along the road we live on to act as a privicy fence, has anyone had any luck with something like this. I would like it to stand tall all of the time.
Reply
6-02-2008 @ 1:02PM
Diane Rixon said...
Hi JR. I have seen people using pampas grass for privacy along the street, but usually in clumps, not in a row. My thought is that if your fenceline is long, it would look a bit monotonous to do all pampas grass. That's just my two cents, for what it's worth! I would do maybe, depending on the length of your fenceline, two or three clumps of pampas grass, in groups of three. I would plant them in a triangle type configuration so they look naturalistic. Then fill in the gaps with some other small trees or shrubs. Some evergreen shrubs that grow big enough for privacy (12+ feet), yet are also very affordable, are privet (can grow tree-size if you'll let it, plus sweet-smelling blooms in spring), viburnum (great blooms, tough), and cleyera (lovely glossy green leaves). Good luck!
6-09-2008 @ 11:07AM
bw said...
Thank you for your info on Pampas grass.
Reply
8-09-2008 @ 12:57PM
Lynda Shaw said...
I've had two areas of pampas grass for several years. Last year it was absolutely beautiful. I trimmed it and this year the grass appeared and grew to about five feet but I don't have any plumes. Do you know why it didn't grow any plumes. Last year it was filled with beautiful growth.
Reply
9-12-2008 @ 11:08AM
Lori Hall said...
I can't believe you are recommending this plant. It is outlawed in all of our nurseries and for good reason. Plants produces millions of seeds that develop without pollination.
It is an aggressive colonizer that competes with native vegetation. It can displace native coastal dune, shrub, and estuarine vegetation, and it slows early forest re-growth on logged lands.
Its large, showy plumes distract from appreciation of the natural landscapes and native flora that inspired establishing the redwood parks.
Andean Pampas/Jubata grass is a threat to the integrity of coastal dune, shrub and estuarine ecosystems. For more information including how to get rid of it, click here: http://www.nps.gov/archive/redw/pampas.htm
Reply
1-25-2009 @ 7:59PM
virignia said...
I have two pampas grass plants in the flower bed in front of my house(which was here when we bought the house). They are about 6 ft tall. When you say to cut them back how much and where to cut them back to? I want to transplant one of them to the back yard. What are the methods to do this and should I wait before spring comes to do this or can I do it now. The plants are brown now with the middle part still green. Our weather is any where from the 30's to low 50's.
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 2:14PM
katherine brown said...
should I cut back the old foliage on pampas grass?
Reply
3-29-2009 @ 10:44PM
Carson Park Ranger said...
Pampas grass is a serious problem in northern California and the Oregon Coast. Someone thought that it was a good idea at one time. Now it's out of control.
For God's sake, don't cultivate that stuff!
Reply
4-28-2009 @ 9:55AM
Mendy said...
I planted two areas of pampas grass this last summer. They grew great and are in a great location. I live in Iowa, so all off it looks dead right now, does anyone know when I should expect to see new growth? Also, does any one have any comments on how well it grows on a slope? Any feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks-Mendy
Reply
5-12-2009 @ 5:00PM
teresa said...
I am in the Lake Ozark, Missouri region and I am also wondering when my pampas grass with start to have green. All my other grasses (zebra) have started to have green new growth. Since all my pampas were planted new last year I am beginning to worry. Could someone help me with a time frame? Thanks
5-05-2009 @ 11:15AM
lou said...
i planted pampas about three weeks ago in front of my hamachi for privacy in my backyard and hamachi i hope there is enough room between my fence and my hamachi ouch can you just trim the edges if it grows wider than u want it? For my second question i planted it and didnt know to cut out the roots to help it grow should i leave it like it is or dig it up and cut out the roots then replant it?
Reply
6-28-2009 @ 5:48PM
Henry Lenz said...
We have a long drive-way and a small rize. We would like 2-4 pampas grass closters. We are in Western Pa. The soil is poor and there are many pine trees around. Would pampas grass grew in poor soil and in this Pa climate? Hope you will tell me and when should I plant pampas grass?
Henry
Reply
6-29-2009 @ 4:51PM
Henry Lenz said...
I asked a gquestion the other day, but received no answer yet. Did i di something wrong?