How to Trim Red Fountain Grass
The red fountain grass is my favorite out of fountain grasses, this garden beauty is also viewed by some as purple fountain grass. The red fountain grass is widely used on many landscape and garden projects for its showy flowers and red foliage, this ornamental plant is native to the middle East, Africa, and southeast Asia.
Zones 9 to 10 are ideal for this grass type to thrive, the red fountain grass is deer resistant, attracts birds, and is moderately salt tolerant which makes it great for coastal areas. Besides its beauty why I love this plant is it can be used to cover wide areas or large empty spots.
The red fountain grass grows anywhere from 3 to 4 feet tall, with a 2 t0 4 inch spread. The flower heads can be dried and use for craft, the flower heads can also be used in floral arrangements. The bloom time is July through October, if you have not read our post that we did some time back on red fountain grass care follow the link that has been provided.
The natural form of this ornamental plant is so beautiful so what you want is to ensure that this grass type keeps its natural form as it regrows once you would have pruned it. For more on how this is done continue reading.
The best time to prune red fountain grass
The best time to prune your red fountain grass is during Autumn or the fall months, the reason for pruning is removing the older leaves that turn brown which takes away from the beauty of this grass. Pruning will also help in the rejuvenation process giving you a plant that is fuller and healthy-looking.
Pruning tools to use
The use of a hand pruner or hedge shears is ideal for the job, ensure however that whichever tool you use is sharp and in good repair. A tool that is broken with a dull blade will not give that clean-cut and will make the job harder. If you must apply a lubricate such as WD 40 to ensure the proper functionality of the tool then by all means do so.
Steps to take with pruning red fountain grass
Because of the spread of this grass, you may want to tie it up in a bundle with a piece of string, once you would have gathered up the grass leaves in a bundle, tied up with a string, and proceed with trimming. The cut should be made about 6 to 12 inches above the ground, the remaining brown or dead grass can be easily removed by gently pulling.
During the following season when your fountain plant regrows it will be full of that nice rich deep dark red color that will complement your spring and summer garden.
The final word on trim red fountain grass
The red fountain grass is so beautiful this garden beauty has so many benefits that make this plant a must-have for your garden or landscapes, what you don’t want is to prune it the wrong way that can cause it to lose its natural form and beauty. This garden plant has made a name for itself and is continuing to make its mark in many home garden designs and other garden projects. So if you have this grass type and want it to look fuller being the show stopper that it was met to be then following this guide will cause you to achieve your goals as you help your fountain grass so go ahead and give it a try, you will be so happy that you did with the results that you get.
Newsletter
Signup Today for Our Newsletter to Receive Up to Date Information on Herbs and Other Gardening News in the Industry.
About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
I’ve seen this plant used in a lot of public areas in Australia by landscape architects and have often wondered what it was called because it would be great to use for landscaping my own backyard. Now that I have read your article you have answered my question and can go and look for it in a nursery. I’ve enjoyed exploring your website and there are many articles I will come back to read and use as a reference. Thanks for a great post.
These plants are so amazing and will bring that much-needed flavor to your garden, I am so happy to help and all the best of success. Have a good day!
The way you describe the red fountain grass is wonderful. I’ll bookmark this page for later reading because I’d want to have this lovely grass in my garden. I’m hoping this grass will make my garden appear much more beautiful. I’ll make a point of reading the red fountain grass care that you shared with us for further information on how to grow this lovely grass. In my garden, I’m hoping it will attract more birds. I’m looking forward to seeing the results.
Thank you for sharing.
So good to see you again, these grass are so amazing and my favorite out of all fountain grasses. You will be so happy with the results. Please let me know how it goes, have a good day!
Hi Norman! I went through your article and about the red fountain grass. It was very nice to hear that you know lot about gardening. I have never seen a grass like this in South Africa but learned about it in your article. I saw in your picture how it but will like to see in real how it looks. Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome and I am happy to have helped, all the best to you and have a good day!