I heard back from Brian Minter at Minter Gardens, and the black stemmed grass I wrote about a couple of posts ago (check it out here), isn’t a Miscanthus at all. It’s a Pennisetum, and one named ‘Prince’.
I’m trying to work out how justifiable that mistake is…how about I take the angle that given that the weed police haven’t been allowing Pennisetums into the country for ages, we poor Aussies can’t rightly expect to even recognize them?
It’s also the first Pennisetums I’ve come across that isn’t grown for its fluffy, foxtail flowers. Checking out the pics in google images, it looks like it’s grown for its foliage alone. Wish we could.
I see this was written 18 months ago. Has the situation changed? I rather like it too.
Anne.
Hi Anne
No, the situation hasn’t changed. And almost certainly never will, given that Pennisetums are not allowed into Aus.