White pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is a stunning ornamental grass with fluffy, feathery plumes that can reach up to 10 feet tall. It’s known for its striking white color and graceful, arching leaves. This variety of pampas grass is drought-tolerant and low maintenance, making it a popular choice for landscaping and adding texture and interest to gardens. However, it’s important to note that white pampas grass can be invasive in some areas, so it’s important to research local regulations before planting.
What is White Pampas Grass?
A native to southern South America, pampas grass hails from the Pampas region, which explains its name. It was planted in New Zealand, Australia, North America, and Europe in the 1970s and harvested for decorative purposes once these plants dried.
Recently, we have seen a massive resurgence in recent years, as these plants have grown in popularity among homeowners. However, pampas grass isn’t only used as a decorative addition to a home.
Pampas grass is easy to grow in varied conditions and works wonders as a privacy feature. It’s available in many different colors, including pink and beige, which only adds to its appearance. More homeowners are using pampas grass to shield their homes from outsiders.
It’s an excellent low-maintenance, drought-resistant, and easy-to-grow shrub that offers a striking appearance to any landscape. This is why many homeowners search for the best ways to grow and care for such vegetation.
Our helpful guide provides you with all the features you need to address when caring for this grass. From pruning to propagating, we’ve covered it all.
| Common Name | White Pampas Grass |
| Scientific Name | Cortaderia selloana ‘White Feather’ |
| Height & Spread | 6-10 ft tall and 3-6 ft wide |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun |
| USDA Growing Zones | Zones 7-10 |
| Water | Moderate watering |
| Soil Type | Well-drained soil |
| Soil pH | 6.0-7.5 |
| Pests & Diseases | Susceptible to rust and fungal diseases |
| Bloom Time | Late summer to early fall |
| Flower Color | White |
| Native Area | South America |
White Pampas Grass Zone
Pampas grass, also known as Cortaderia selloana, is popular in landscapes and well-liked for being an attractive ornamental grass. There’s no doubt that pampas grass is easy to grow. It can grow in harsh climates commonly found in Zone 6 regions while also thriving in USDA zones from Zone 7 and Zone 11. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to address what you’re signing yourself up for before you begin planting this grass.
In some cases, these feathery plumes can grow to become invasive, which is why you shouldn’t be too quick to plant this foliage in your garden until you address some considerations. A pampas grass plant is known to grow rapidly and can reach anywhere between 5 and 10 feet wide and high. Thus, offering the right care and maintenance is vital. Our helpful tips listed below can be used to address these considerations and ensure you get the best out of this pampas grass.
White Pampas Grass Maintenance
White pampas grass is a popular ornamental grass that can be found in many gardens. It requires minimal maintenance, but it does need to be trimmed every few years to keep it looking its best.
White pampas grass is a tropical grass that can grow up to 3 feet tall and wide and It has very few pests and diseases, making it a low-maintenance plant for most gardeners.
The only major thing you will need to do for your white pampas grass is trimming it every few years with hedge shears or a lawn mower, depending on how high you want the plant to grow.
Caring for White Pampas Grass
Before you begin growing this foliage in your garden, you should search for a generous space in your landscape to allow for the planting to grow. This is especially true if you plan on growing multiple plants.
Mass planting pampas grass typically requires you to space this foliage 6 to 8 feet apart. Additionally, pampas grass is known for thriving in full sun conditions. However, it can tolerate being planted in areas with partial shade.
This white foliage can also handle a wide array of soil conditions. However, the most suitable type and one you should search for is moist, well-draining soil. A massive advantage of planting pampas grass is that it’s tolerant to drought conditions, salt sprays, and wind. Thus, it’s a common plant in coastal regions.
How to Grow White Pampas Grass?
Once you’ve established your planting in full sun or partial shade conditions, it requires minimal care and maintenance. However, you should conduct a regular watering schedule if your pampas grass is planted in extreme drought conditions.
Moreover, this pampas grass plant should be pruned every year to the ground. You generally do this in late winter or early spring. When pruning your pampas grass, we recommend doing so with great care and while wearing a long-sleeve shirt and gloves, as the plant has sharp foliage.
You also have the option of burning this pampas grass down to its green growth as an alternative to pruning this shrub.
When doing this, you should address some safety considerations and ensure that these clumps are far away from any building or homes. Finally, you can use a balanced fertilizer after pruning to help stimulate growth. However, this isn’t mandatory.
How to Propagate Pampas Grass?
Pampas grass can be propagated through division in the spring months. During the process of propagation, its pruned clumps are sliced through with a shovel and planted in moist, well-draining soil. Only female pampas grass is generally propagated. These females are the most common and have fuller flowers consisting of silk-like hairs, which their male counterparts don’t have. This propagation should be done in spring for optimal results, but you can also begin the process in late winter. Additionally, you want to keep the roots moist during this process until the structure is established.
Surviving Winter
Pampas grass can survive the cold winter months even with snowfall. However, this is only possible if you prepare it correctly. Before the end of fall, you should cut this grass back to make room for the following season’s growth. You should also remove any flower stalks, as these seeds might spread to other parts of your landscape and grow rapidly.
Before you begin trimming the grass, you should tie it together with string. This helps drain any excess water. From here, you should spread mulch around the plant’s base and cover it with burlap. This offers protection against the cold and allows the roots to remain warm and dry until late winter. You can remove this burlap in early spring once the last frost falls.
Where Can You Purchase White Pampas Grass?
Pampas grass is readily available online, which means that you have a ton of options to choose from when you conduct a quick Google search. In most cases, it can be difficult trying to search through these various choices and pick the best one. That’s why we have carefully gone through and picked our top recommendations to make your search easier.
This pampas grass product grows in full sun to partial shade conditions and takes approximately two to three years to bloom. When purchasing these drought-resistant seeds, we strongly recommend that you begin the process indoors if there’s a frost concern. This grass can grow to 10 feet tall, so you should account for this when choosing what area you want these seeds planted.
Another product that you might enjoy is this white ornamental pampas grass. This grass can grow as tall as 7 feet in spring while boasting an exceptional appearance with its large flowers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Although pampas grass is a great decorative plant for your home, it can grow vigorously in spring and push out other vegetation in an area. When a pampas grass planting isn’t properly maintained, it can clog wetlands and waterways while causing environmental chaos. Additionally, it becomes a fire hazard when this foliage is dry.
Studies have shown that pampas grass can cause illness or death when ingested. Dogs can have numerous reactions after being exposed to pampas grass plumes. Some of the most common reactions include diarrhea, drooling, vomiting, comas, and seizures. That’s why you should search for a safe place to grow these shrubs away from any household pets.
Pampas grass doesn’t take long to grow, as it’s a perennial. Meaning, it germinates during the spring months while these plants generally produce bulbs within the first year. When planting a pampas grass seed in your garden, it takes between two and four years for this drought-resistant plant to reach full maturity and can grow as tall as 10 feet when offering regular pruning. From here, these white plumes typically last for 15 years.
Dried White Pampas Grass is a plant that is native to Argentina. It is grown in many other countries as well. It used for many purposes, such as ornamentation, crafts and art projects, or for use in things like potpourri and flower arrangements.
The dried white pampas grass plant can grow up to 3 feet tall and it has long feathery leaves that grow from the base of the stem. The leaves are also called plumes because of their resemblance to feathers.
Conclusion
White pampas grass is a popular ornamental grass known for its large, feathery plumes that are creamy-white in color. It grows tall and can reach up to 8-12 feet in height, making it an eye-catching addition to any garden or landscape. White pampas grass is low maintenance and can thrive in a range of soil types and climates. However, it is important to note that it can become invasive if not properly controlled. Its fluffy plumes make it a favorite for home decor and crafts, but precautions should be taken when handling the plumes, as they can cause respiratory irritation in some individuals.
