Getting it to bloom

Why won't my feathertop grass bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called feathertop grass, feathertop fountain grass, white fountain grass (Pennisetum villosum).

More about feathertop grass

About feathertop grass

Pennisetum villosum · also called feathertop grass, feathertop fountain grass · flowering

Feathertop grass is a tender perennial ornamental grass prized for its fluffy, cream-white bottlebrush flower spikes that emerge from midsummer to autumn. It forms compact clumps of narrow grey-green leaves. Drought-tolerant once established, it suits sunny borders and gravel gardens, and is often grown as an annual in frost-prone gardens.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Self-seeding and invasiveness: Can self-seed prolifically in warm climates and is considered invasive in parts of Australia, South Africa, and the Mediterranean. Deadhead spent flower spikes promptly to prevent unwanted spread in the garden.

The reasons feathertop grass isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming feathertop grass traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding feathertop grass a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get feathertop grass to flower

Maximise sun. Give feathertop grass the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for feathertop grass and get the feeding right with the feathertop grass fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

feathertop grass flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full feathertop grass care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

feathertop grass blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my feathertop grass flower?

feathertop grass blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make feathertop grass bloom?

Give feathertop grass the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does feathertop grass normally bloom?