Cortaderia selloana, commonly known as Pampas Grass, is a towering perennial grass native to the South American pampas region, characterized by a dramatic, imposing visual presence. This ornamental plant is widely sought after for its architectural form and signature silky, feathery flower heads that create a striking focal point in a landscape.
Size, Shape, and Leaf Structure
Pampas Grass forms a dense, mounding clump known as a tussock, which serves as the massive base for the plant’s height and spread. A mature specimen typically reaches an impressive height of 6 to 10 feet, with some varieties stretching up to 12 feet when the flower stalks are included. The width of the clump is equally substantial, often spreading between 4 and 8 feet across, giving the grass its robust, rounded habit.
The foliage is composed of numerous long, narrow, arching leaf blades that droop gracefully from the central clump. These leaves are a gray-green or medium-green color and possess a tough, whip-like texture. A defining feature of the leaves is their extremely sharp, serrated margins, which can easily cause cuts if handled without protection.
The Defining Feature: Feathered Plumes
The most recognizable feature of Cortaderia selloana is its magnificent feathered plumes, which are the plant’s inflorescences, emerging from tall, rigid stalks called culms. These plumes erupt from the foliage in late summer and early fall, dramatically increasing the plant’s height by an additional 1 to 3 feet.
The plumes are dense, soft, and feathery, resembling large, silvery-white feather dusters that sway noticeably in the slightest breeze. The plumes owe their fluffy appearance to the silky hairs covering the tiny flowers; female plants are typically much showier and fuller than the male plants’ plumes. These flower heads can range in length from 1 to over 3 feet, creating a dramatic visual texture above the stiff, dense foliage base.
After reaching maturity, the plumes persist throughout the fall and winter, often transitioning to a beige or tan color as they dry out. This dried state is the form commonly harvested for indoor floral arrangements.
Common Color Variations and Cultivars
While the wild type of Pampas Grass is generally known for its striking silver-white or creamy-white plumes, cultivated varieties offer a broader spectrum of visual interest. One popular variation is the pink-plumed types, such as ‘Rosea’ or ‘Rendatleri,’ which display shades ranging from a pale blush to a vibrant, rosy pink when fresh. These colored plumes tend to soften and fade toward a pale beige or tan as they age and dry.
Another significant variation is the dwarf cultivar, most notably ‘Pumila,’ which addresses the size constraint of the standard species. This variety maintains the overall visual character of the larger plant, including the feathery plumes and dense tussock, but grows to a more manageable height of 3 to 5 feet. Cultivars also exist with variegated foliage, such as ‘Aureolineata,’ which features slender leaves striped with warm gold, adding a subtle color element to the basal foliage.