Fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus)
Fountain grass is a tufted perennial grass to 1.5 m high. Leaves have a long narrow leaf blade to 3.5 mm wide and 60 cm long. The flower heads resemble pink to purple bottle brushes 6 to 30 cm long.
Flowers are present from late spring to mid-winter.
Fountain grass is a highly invasive tufted grass. Plants are used as ornamentals in gardens and along roadsides.
Fountain grass seed is mainly wind-dispersed. Seed can remain viable in the soil for at least seven years. It is a fair chance that the plants on Rocky Hill established from wind-blown seeds that originated in Kooringal gardens.
In 202? there was a major control program that killed the majority of fountain grass plants on Rocky Hill.
Unfortunately the control team missed some areas and these plants are now flowering and setting seed.
