I am in search of a small clump of Pink Pampas grass. I seem to be collecting grasses as I currently have two types of maiden (all green and varigated (white and green)), and white pampas grass. I would love a small clump of the pink to accent the white on my hilly backyard. I recently mail ordered one and it was delivered during the late fall of '07. I got busy and did not plant it right away and it died. Please reply if you are willing to share. For a selected list of items I have to trade, please see my trade page.

Since pampas grass is evergreen, especially in the OP's climate, it doesn't require cutting back annually. There are many plantings of it my area that rarely get cut back. In fact, it tends to look better and with a more natural fountaining habit if left untrimmed. For that reason, plus the fact that most grasses are very drought tolerant and do not require any fertilization, it IS considered very low maintenance. If the grass does need attention - removing old, tattered plumes, the occasional trimming or very infrequent dividing - be sure to wear gloves and protective clothing. The blades are very sharp and can cut easily.

Pampas grass dies out in the center as it ages. I see them all over the city looking exactly like yours, that center dead area will just get larger each year. You have to dig & divide the plants when this happens or core out the center with a saw below the soil, add some soil and let the plants fill back in with new growth. Good luck, its a real bear trimming or dealing with this grass because of the sharp leaves.

There is no overlap between real Pampas Grass (Cortaderia) and Fountain Grass (Pennisetum). The smallest Pampas Grass is much larger and has much larger flowers than the largest Fountain Grass. The best way to learn to ID the larger grasses from a drive-by is to study Google Images. A few to look up would be Cortaderia selloana, Miscanthus sinensis, Panicum virgatum, Saccharum ravennae, Arundo donax and Sporobolus wrightii. Get to know things like their foliage height, flowering height and time of flowering. This will help you to name what you see while driving by.