Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Pampas Grass
Pampas Grass is a large evergreen grass known for its tall, feathery plumes in silvery white to pink. The plumes rise well above a big fountain of long, narrow leaves from late summer into fall and hold into winter. It grows in full sun and almost any soil, including salty ground, and needs only limited water once rooted. Use it as a bold accent or a big backdrop where it has room to spread out.
Best for: bold accents, large backdrops along a back wall, and salty or poor soil in full sun where there is room to spread.
Its silvery white to pink plumes stand well above the leaves from late summer through fall and hold into winter. One clump makes a strong focal point in a large bed.
Set clumps about 10 feet apart along a back wall or property line. Each grows about 6 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide, so do not crowd it.
It tolerates almost any soil, including clay, sand, rocky ground and salty soil. Give it soil that drains and full sun.
The leaf edges are sharp enough to cut skin. It can spread by seed into open ground, and dead leaves build up into dry, flammable thatch if it is never cut back.
- Backdrop row10 ft apart, center to center
- Single clump10 ft from other large plants
Water a new plant regularly while it gets rooted. New grasses need extra water for their first year or two, then far less.
Once rooted it needs only limited extra water. Give it a deep soak now and then in the hottest, driest weeks.
Cut it close to the ground in winter or early spring when it looks ragged. Wear heavy gloves and long sleeves, because the leaf edges are sharp.
Dead leaves pile up into dry thatch that burns easily. Cutting it back clears the thatch and refreshes the clump.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does pampas grass get?
The leaf clump grows about 6 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. The plume stalks can rise higher than that, so give it plenty of room.
How far apart should I plant pampas grass?
Plant it about 10 feet apart, and keep it about that far from other large plants. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
When does pampas grass bloom?
The feathery plumes come in late summer and fall, in silvery white to pink. They hold their looks into winter.
How much water does pampas grass need?
Water it regularly while it gets rooted. Once rooted it needs only limited extra water and handles dry spells.
Are pampas grass leaves sharp?
Yes. The leaf edges are finely serrated and can cut skin. Wear heavy gloves and long sleeves when you trim or handle it.
How do I cut back pampas grass?
Cut it back hard, close to the ground, in winter or early spring when it looks ragged. Doing this every few years clears out the dead leaves.
Is pampas grass a fire hazard?
Dead leaves build up into dry, flammable thatch over the years. Cutting the clump back clears that thatch.
Can pampas grass spread in Arizona?
Yes, it can. It has spread from yards into open ground in Maricopa, Pima, Yavapai and Coconino counties. Each plant is either male or female, and the plumes carry wind-blown seed.
Is pampas grass banned in any Valley cities?
Phoenix and Apache Junction do not list it on their prohibited plant lists. Fountain Hills requires plants in new permitted yard landscaping to come from its town plant list, and pampas grass is not on it. In Scottsdale desert overlay areas, non-native plants go inside a yard wall 3 feet or taller, and pampas grass is not on the city native plant list. HOA lists vary, so confirm with your HOA.
What soil does pampas grass need?
It tolerates almost any soil, from clay to sand and rocky ground, and it handles salty soil well. Soil that drains suits it best.
How cold hardy is pampas grass?
It is rated hardy to somewhere between about 0°F and 10°F, depending on the source.
Pampas Grass for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Pampas Grass is the big ornamental grass with tall, feathery plumes that people spot from the street. It stays green all year and grows in almost any soil. Below is what to expect, from size and spacing to water, cutting back, sharp leaves and the local rules on where it can go.
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Pampas grass in Phoenix
Pampas grass is a large evergreen grass with tall plumes from late summer into winter. It grows in full sun and almost any soil, and needs only limited water once rooted.
How far apart to plant pampas grass
Space clumps about 10 feet apart. Each grows about 6 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide.
Is pampas grass allowed in the Valley?
Phoenix and Apache Junction do not list it as a prohibited plant. Fountain Hills leaves it off the plant list for new permitted landscaping, and Scottsdale desert overlay areas limit it to walled yards. HOA lists vary, so confirm with your HOA.
Cutting back pampas grass
Cut it close to the ground in winter or early spring every few years. Wear heavy gloves, because the leaf edges are sharp.
When does pampas grass bloom?
Pampas grass sends up silvery white to pink plumes in late summer and fall, and they hold their looks into winter.
Watering pampas grass
Water a new plant regularly while it gets rooted. After that it needs only limited extra water.
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