Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Penisetum massaicum Red Bunny Tails (Pennisetum massaicum 'Red Bunny Tails')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called red bunny tails grass, massaicum fountain grass.

More about penisetum massaicum red bunny tails

About Penisetum massaicum Red Bunny Tails

Pennisetum massaicum 'Red Bunny Tails' · also called red bunny tails grass, massaicum fountain grass · flowering

'Red Bunny Tails' is a compact African fountain grass grown for its fuzzy, oval, two-toned flower heads that open burgundy-red and age to soft tan, bobbing like rabbit tails above fine green foliage all summer. It thrives in heat and full sun, makes an excellent container and cut-flower grass, and is tender, usually grown as an annual in cool climates.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (tender; grown as an annual in colder zones) · RHS H2 (15-30°C)

Watch for — Cold sensitivity: As a tender species it is killed by frost and rots in cold, wet winter soil. Grow as an annual, or lift and overwinter the pot somewhere bright and frost-free.

What penisetum massaicum red bunny tails's hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for penisetum massaicum red bunny tails: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9-11 (tender; grown as an annual in colder zones) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

Concretely, for penisetum massaicum red bunny tails as it gets too cold:

Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.

Can penisetum massaicum red bunny tails go outside or overwinter — and where?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when penisetum massaicum red bunny tails can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline penisetum massaicum red bunny tails

Penisetum massaicum Red Bunny Tails is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.

Penisetum massaicum Red Bunny Tails hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is penisetum massaicum red bunny tails cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for penisetum massaicum red bunny tails: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. Penisetum massaicum Red Bunny Tails is grown 9-11 (tender; grown as an annual in colder zones); you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature penisetum massaicum red bunny tails can survive?

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

What hardiness zone is penisetum massaicum red bunny tails?

Penisetum massaicum Red Bunny Tails is rated USDA 9-11 (tender; grown as an annual in colder zones) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can penisetum massaicum red bunny tails survive winter outside?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

How do I protect penisetum massaicum red bunny tails from frost?

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.