Pennisetum, Fountain Grass, Hardy Oriental Fountain Grass, Ornamental Grass 'Karley Rose'

Not sure if questions are allowed, I love this plant but wonder how it will hold up through the snow? Cut back now or spring?

Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose'

This plant has been in my gardens now for nearly 10 years and never has it suffered fro...Read Morem disease or pest. Oriental fountain grass thrives nearly in every location I have planted it: near the foundation, full sun, part shade, rich soil, soil that floods, exposed, and near the street/sidewalk. The plant is robust and durable but refined and malleable in the landscape. Fountain grass provides interest planted among other plants in the border, as a grouping, mass planting, or landscape plant. Classic or modern looks are achievable with this plant. Not cutting back dry leaves during fall/winter has the benefit of adding an element of interest to winter landscapes.

Maintenance of this plant is straightforward. If sited properly, regular precipitation and supplemental fertilizer (organic or non-organic - both DO work fine) produce best plants. Mulch to suppress weeds from growing near/in plant. Dry grass tufts can be burned back to ground in spring prior to plant growth, if your jurisdiction allows such practices.

This is my favorite grass. So vigorous and long-blooming! I second the comment about them flopping in the rain, but I also second the com...Read Morement that they pop up again very quickly as they dry. The other thing I'll say is that this is no 'Hameln' -- 'Karley Rose' may look dainty, but this isn't a small Pennisetum, and though not tall per se, it grows wider and wider over the course of the growing season. I know folks who've planted it in small spaces and had to relocate later. Site with that in mind, and you'll have a great low-care plant for the duration.

This grass gets the most compliments when people pass by. It comes up reliably each year and keeps its form perfectly. It only lays dow...Read Moren after a soaking rain but comes right back up when it has had a chance to dry off. It has been very tolerant of dry conditions, and being at the end of the driveway, has had no problem with road salt in the winter. The only maintenance is to cut it to the ground in March or April and then just wait for it to grow again!

It is true that these flop in rain, however in full sun they pop right back up all on their own. That is, after the sun comes out and the...Read Morey have an hour or so to dry off a bit. I have some mixed in with some wildflowers in a partly shady area and they perform no where near as well as out on their own in full sun. I absolutely love them and they are one of my favorite plants I've ever grown. They start sending out their beautiful mauve seed heads in late June, before they are even half the size they will be by the time the first, killing frost comes. Mine are an inch or two shy of five feet and in their second growing season, they have grown to double the width they were originally. I have dry mesic soil and I added organic matter before planting. Now that they are established I only water them deeply, during dry spells. They have proven hardy through their first winter here. The lowest the temperature dropped to was -13 degrees F. We did however have very good snow cover, which is not always the case here. So far they have not disappointed me and I highly recommend them, if the right spot can be provided.

Blooms June-August in my garden, beautiful heads. USPP #12909

Lovely plant. It looks great at the back of my flower garden, but for me it grows 4 feet tall. And this is only the second year!

This is one of my favorite grasses, as it moves so gracefully in a breeze. It's one major drawback in my garden is that after a rain it ...Read Moreflops badly. I have found, though, that by using a long garden stake to lift it and shake the water off, I can get it back upright again. This one is a "keeper" in my garden.

This grass looks amazing in mass plantings!

My vote is still out on this grass.
I love the plumes and the overall plant is attractive, at a distance. Upclose and personel...Read More, it is a "little" weedy(unruly) looking and tends to flop.
My plants are 2 years old. I have, now, relocated them, and will wait to see if the growing habits improve.
Like most grasses, they look wonderful, with the sun behind it.