Red Fountain Grass: How to Grow and Care for It

Red fountain grass is one of the easiest ornamental grasses to love. The burgundy-red foliage, arching shape, and soft bottlebrush plumes make it look dramatic without requiring much attention once established.

I like it most in places where a garden bed needs movement: near patios, around pool areas, in large containers, along walkways, or mixed with flowering perennials. It gives you color even when nothing is blooming, and the plumes catch light beautifully in late summer and fall.

There is one important thing to know before planting it: the name can be confusing. Many garden centers sell it as red fountain grass, purple fountain grass, tender fountain grass, or Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’. In warm climates, it may behave like a perennial. In colder regions, it is usually grown as an annual.

What Is Red Fountain Grass?

Red fountain grass is a warm-season ornamental grass grown for its reddish-purple foliage and soft, arching flower plumes. It is commonly sold as Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ or Pennisetum advena ‘Rubrum’, depending on the nursery, region, and naming system.

For homeowners, the practical point is simple: it is the burgundy fountain grass often used in containers and sunny landscape beds. The plant forms a graceful clump with narrow red-purple blades and fuzzy plumes that rise above the foliage.

It is not the same thing as red thread disease in a lawn, and it is not red fescue grass seed. If you are comparing different meanings of “red grass,” start with my full red grass guide.

Red Fountain Grass at a Glance

Where Red Fountain Grass Looks Best

I think red fountain grass works best when you treat it like a living accent piece. It has enough color and shape to stand alone, but it also blends well with perennials, shrubs, and modern hardscaping.

1. Containers and Patio Pots

This is my favorite use. A single red fountain grass plant can fill the center of a large container and act as the “thriller” in a container design. Add trailing sweet potato vine, lantana, calibrachoa, or verbena around the edges and the pot looks full all season.

2. Sunny Borders

In a mixed border, red fountain grass adds height, color, and movement. It pairs especially well with yellow, orange, pink, white, and purple flowers.

3. Poolside and Modern Landscapes

The burgundy foliage looks sharp near stone, concrete, gravel, stucco, black planters, white walls, and modern patios. It softens hard surfaces without looking messy.

4. Mass Plantings

Several plants repeated along a walkway or driveway can look dramatic. Just make sure you have enough space because mature clumps need room to arch naturally.

How to Grow Red Fountain Grass

Light

Red fountain grass performs best in full sun. More sun usually means better burgundy color, stronger growth, and more plumes.

In too much shade, the plant may become thin, floppy, greener than expected, or slow to flower. If I want the strongest color, I put it where it receives at least 6 hours of direct sun.

Soil

The most important soil requirement is drainage. Red fountain grass does not like sitting in wet, soggy ground for long periods.

Average garden soil is usually fine if water drains well. If your soil is heavy clay, improve the planting area with compost and avoid low spots where water collects.

To learn more about enhancing garden soil, check out my guide on understanding good garden soil.

Water

Water newly planted red fountain grass regularly until the roots establish. Thereafter, it becomes more drought tolerant than many flowering annuals, but it still looks better with occasional deep watering during hot, dry spells.

Container-grown plants dry out faster than plants in the ground, so check pots more often during summer heat.

Fertilizer

Red fountain grass usually does not need heavy feeding. Too much fertilizer can push soft, floppy growth. In average soil, a light application of slow-release fertilizer in spring or early summer is enough.

If it is growing in a container, I would feed it more consistently because potting mix loses nutrients faster than garden soil.

How to Plant Red Fountain Grass

Step 1: Choose a Sunny Spot

Pick a location with full sun and enough room for the plant to arch outward. Avoid planting it too close to walkways unless you want the foliage to spill over the edge.

Step 2: Check Drainage

If water sits in the planting hole after rain or irrigation, choose a different spot or improve drainage before planting.

Step 3: Dig the Planting Hole

Dig a hole about as deep as the nursery pot and slightly wider than the root ball. Do not bury the crown too deeply.

Step 4: Plant and Backfill

Place the plant at the same soil level it had in the container. Backfill with soil, firm gently, and water deeply.

Step 5: Mulch Lightly

Add a light layer of mulch around the plant to conserve moisture and reduce weeds, but do not pile mulch directly against the crown.

Growing Red Fountain Grass in Pots

Red fountain grass is excellent in containers. In colder climates, this is often the easiest way to enjoy it as a seasonal accent plant.

Container Tips

• Use a large pot: Bigger containers hold moisture better and support the arching growth.
• Choose drainage holes: Never grow it in a sealed decorative pot without drainage.
• Use quality potting mix: Do not use heavy garden soil in containers.
• Water more often: Pots dry faster than ground soil.
• Feed lightly: A slow-release fertilizer can help container plants stay full.

Is Red Fountain Grass a Perennial?

Red fountain grass is usually a perennial only in warm climates. In colder regions, it is commonly grown as an annual because frost and freezing temperatures can kill it.

If you garden in a mild winter area, it may return from the base. If you garden in a cold winter region, treat it like a seasonal ornamental unless you plan to overwinter it indoors.

How to Overwinter Red Fountain Grass

If your climate is too cold for red fountain grass outdoors, you have two choices: grow it as an annual or try overwintering it in a container.

Overwintering in a Pot

• Move the container indoors before hard frost.
• Place it in the brightest location available.
• Water lightly, just enough to keep the roots from completely drying out.
• Do not overfeed during winter.
• Move it back outdoors after frost danger passes.

Overwintering is not always perfect. Sometimes the plant sulks indoors because it wants more sun than a winter window can provide. For many gardeners, buying a fresh plant each spring is easier.

When and How to Prune Red Fountain Grass

Red fountain grass is easy to prune. I usually leave the dry foliage standing through fall because it still looks good and adds texture. Then I cut it back before new growth begins.

Pruning Steps

1. Wait until late winter or early spring in warm climates.
2. Use clean pruning shears or hedge shears.
3. Cut the old foliage back to a few inches above the crown.
4. Remove dead leaves and debris from the center.
5. Do not cut into fresh new shoots if they have already started.

Can You Divide Red Fountain Grass?

In warm climates where red fountain grass survives as a perennial, older clumps can sometimes be divided in spring. Division is useful if the plant becomes too large, develops a dead center, or needs rejuvenation.

Dig the clump, cut it into sections with healthy roots and shoots, then replant the divisions at the same depth. Water well until they recover.

Common Problems With Red Fountain Grass

1. Plant Looks Green Instead of Red

This usually happens when the plant does not get enough sun. Move it to a brighter spot if possible. Young plants may also color up more as they mature and receive stronger light.

2. Plant Is Floppy

Too much shade, too much nitrogen, or crowded growing conditions can make red fountain grass flop. Give it sun, avoid overfeeding, and allow enough space.

3. Brown Tips

Brown tips can happen from drought stress, inconsistent watering, old foliage, container stress, or winter damage. Check soil moisture and drainage first.

4. No Plumes

Too much shade, young plant age, poor growing conditions, or short growing seasons can reduce flowering. Full sun and warm weather usually improve plume production.

5. Plant Dies in Winter

In cold climates, this is normal. Red fountain grass is often sold as a seasonal annual outside warm zones.

Is Red Fountain Grass Invasive?

This is the one part of red fountain grass care I would never skip. Some fountain grasses and related species can be invasive in warm climates. Naming can also be confusing because plants may be sold under older botanical names or common names.

The red or purple ‘Rubrum’ type is often described as less seed-producing than the straight species, but local conditions and regulations matter. Before planting fountain grass in warm regions, especially in the West, Hawaii, desert climates, coastal climates, or fire-prone landscapes, check your local extension office or state invasive plant list.

Best Companion Plants for Red Fountain Grass

Red fountain grass pairs well with plants that like sun and good drainage. I like using companions that either contrast with the burgundy foliage or echo its warm color.

Good Companion Plants

• Lantana: Great for hot sunny containers and pollinator color.
• Sweet potato vine: Excellent trailing plant for pots.
• Salvia: Strong purple or blue contrast.
• Black-eyed Susan: Warm yellow flowers pair well with burgundy foliage.
• Sedum: Good late-season texture and drought tolerance.
• Verbena: Soft color around container edges.
• Dusty miller: Silver foliage makes the red color stand out.
• Pink muhly grass: Soft plumes and airy contrast in larger beds.

Red Fountain Grass vs Purple Fountain Grass

In most garden-center conversations, red fountain grass and purple fountain grass often refer to the same or very similar ‘Rubrum’ ornamental grass. The foliage may look burgundy, red-purple, bronze-red, or dark purple depending on light, plant age, season, and variety.

If you are buying online, compare the plant photos, mature size, hardiness information, and botanical name. Do not rely only on the common name.

Red Fountain Grass vs Red Thread in Grass

These two are completely different. Red fountain grass is an ornamental plant you intentionally grow for color and texture. Red thread is a fungal lawn disease that creates reddish or pinkish symptoms in turfgrass.

If your regular lawn is turning red in patches, read my guide on red thread in grass before assuming it is a desirable red grass.

Best Places to Use Red Fountain Grass

• Front porch planters: Adds instant height and color.
• Poolside beds: Gives movement without messy flowers.
• Modern patios: Looks great with stone, concrete, gravel, and black planters.
• Mailbox beds: Adds vertical interest in full sun.
• Walkway borders: Works well if given enough room to arch.
• Seasonal displays: Excellent for late summer and fall containers.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Planting It in Too Much Shade

Shade weakens color and shape. If you want burgundy foliage and strong plumes, give it sun.

2. Overwatering in Heavy Soil

Red fountain grass likes moisture while establishing, but soggy soil can cause root problems. Drainage matters.

3. Forgetting It May Be Annual in Your Climate

Gardeners in colder zones often expect it to return and then think they did something wrong. In many climates, winter loss is normal.

4. Planting Without Checking Invasive Status

This is especially important in warm climates. Always check your local guidance before planting.

5. Cutting Back Too Early in Fall

The dry foliage and plumes can look beautiful through fall. Unless the plant looks messy or diseased, I usually leave it for seasonal texture.

Final Verdict: Is Red Fountain Grass Worth Growing?

Yes, red fountain grass is worth growing if you want a low-maintenance ornamental grass with strong color, soft movement, and excellent container appeal. It is especially useful for sunny patios, modern gardens, poolside beds, and late-season landscape color.

The only major caution is location. In cold climates, treat it as a seasonal annual. In warm climates, check local invasive plant guidance before planting it in the ground.

If it is appropriate for your area, red fountain grass is one of the easiest ways to add burgundy color and motion to a sunny landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is red fountain grass the same as purple fountain grass?
In many garden centers, red fountain grass and purple fountain grass refer to the same or very similar ‘Rubrum’ ornamental grass with burgundy-red to purple foliage and soft arching plumes.

Does red fountain grass come back every year?
It may come back in warm climates, but it is often grown as an annual in colder regions. Winter survival depends on your climate, soil drainage, and local growing conditions.

Does red fountain grass need full sun?
Yes, full sun gives the best color, shape, and plume production. Too much shade can make the plant greener, weaker, and less attractive.

How tall does red fountain grass get?
Red fountain grass commonly grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, although size can vary depending on climate, soil, water, container size, and variety.

Can red fountain grass grow in pots?
Yes. Red fountain grass is excellent in large outdoor containers as long as the pot has drainage holes, quality potting mix, and enough sunlight.

When should I cut back red fountain grass?
In warm climates, cut back old foliage in late winter or early spring before new growth starts. In cold climates where it is grown as an annual, remove the plant after frost kills it.

Is red fountain grass invasive?
Some fountain grasses and related species can be invasive in certain warm regions. Check local extension guidance and state invasive plant rules before planting red fountain grass in the ground.