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Pampas Grass
Cortaderia selloana
Pampas Grass blooms from August through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Pampas Grass
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 7–11. Expect it to reach about 8 ft tall and 5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Pampas Grass. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Pampas Grass
Plant Pampas Grass in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 8, the middle of its hardy zones 7 to 11, spring means February to April and fall means September or October. Once settled, it blooms from August to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 8, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 8 in February. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Pampas Grass get?
8 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult5 ftwideSee Pampas Grass in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Pampas Grass
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Pampas Grass about 5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Pampas Grass to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Pampas Grass' height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 2 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical Gardenheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 3 varieties across 2 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Pampas Grass group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf Pampas (Pumila) | White | Aug–Oct | Zones 6–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Gold Band Pampas | White | Aug–Oct | Zones 7–11 | Full sun | 6.5 ft × 4.5 ft |
| Pampasthis page | White | Aug–Oct | Zones 7–11 | Full sun | 8 ft × 5 ft |
| Pink Feather Pampas | Pink | Aug–Oct | Zones 7–11 | Full sun | 8 ft × 5 ft |
Good to know about Pampas Grass
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
The showy fluffy plumes come only from female plants, so nurseries sold female stock, and each female plume can throw up to about 100,000 wind-borne seeds. per NC State and Cal-IPC
Cold hardiness varies by source
NC State lists zones 6a to 10b; Missouri Botanical Garden gives 8 to 10. The straight green species is hardier; variegated cultivars less so. per NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden
Leaf blades cut skin
The narrow leaf blades have fine, sharp, saw-toothed edges that cut skin. Cortaderia means 'cutter'. Wear gloves, long sleeves, and eye protection when handling it. per NC State
Invasive; check local lists
A serious invasive in California, Hawaii, the Southeast, and abroad, forming dense stands that crowd out natives. Cal-IPC rates it 'High'. Check your local noxious-weed list first. per Cal-IPC
Cut back in late winter
As a warm-season grass, cut the whole clump to roughly 15 to 45 cm in late winter before new growth starts. Wear gloves and eye protection. per Clemson
Deer resistant
Highly resistant to deer: they avoid the tough, sharp-edged foliage. per NC State
What pairs well with Pampas Grass
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Gazania
Shares full sun and low water; low at 10 in, to carpet the ground beneath; opens in early summer and overlaps into this one's season; a soft color beside the white.
Bachelor's Button
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; lower at 2.5 ft, for the front of the border; a soft color beside the white.
Aloe
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; low at 1.5 ft, to carpet the ground beneath; a soft color beside the white.
California Poppy
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 12 in, to carpet the ground beneath; a soft color beside the white.
Butterfly Weed
Shares full sun and low water; opens in early summer and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 2 ft, for the front of the border; a soft color beside the white.
Candytuft
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; low at 10 in, to carpet the ground beneath; its white flowers settle the white.
Oregano
Shares full sun and low water; opens in early summer and overlaps into this one's season; low at 1.5 ft, to carpet the ground beneath; a soft color beside the white.
Grape Hyacinth
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; a soft color beside the white; they only overlap in zones 7 to 8.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.