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Uruguayan pampas grass

Cortaderia selloana

Also called Pampas grass, Pampas, Common Pampas Grass, Papas Grass

Uruguayan pampas grass
Photo: JLPC, CC BY-SA 3.0

Pampas grass is a large, clump-forming ornamental grass from southern South America, grown for its tall silvery plumes. The key to growing it is full sun, moist soil, and room to spread, as it can become invasive in some temperate regions.

Family
Poaceae (Grass family)
Grows as
Grass
Light
Full sun
Water
Keep soil moist, especially while establishing, and water in dry spells.
Soil
Moist, well-drained garden soil; tolerates a range of soil types.
Temperature
Hardy in mild climates; typically tolerates cold to about -10 °C; protect young plants in severe frost.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not toxic to cats or dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
Bolivia to S. Brazil and S. South America
Climate
subtropical

About

Cortaderia selloana is a species of flowering plant in the family Poaceae. It is referred to by the common name pampas grass, and is native to southern South America, including the Pampas region after which it is named. It is widely distributed throughout the world as a cultivated ornamental and invasive species.

How to grow it

Several cultivars are available, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

Aureolineata

Where it grows

The native range of C. selloana includes Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This region is dominated by subtropical forests and grasslands, but C. selloana is typically restricted to moist soil within riparian areas. It is found at lower elevations and at moister sites than the closely related C. jubata. It requires areas with plentiful light and soil moisture. It is a common invasive species in temperate regions around the world, where it can be found growing in moist, disturbed soil.

Other Cortaderia plants

Purple pampas grass

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cortaderia selloana by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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