Well, now y’all asking if there’s such a thing as purple grass, huh? I reckon it might sound strange, but you’d be surprised—there really is some grass that looks purple, though it’s not like the grass we see all around the fields here. Now, I ain’t talking ’bout the regular green stuff that grows wild, but some fancy grasses that folks use for garden decoration and such.
One of these purple grasses is called Pennisetum setaceum, or more commonly, purple fountain grass. It’s a real beauty, got leaves that are all purple and sometimes a little reddish too. It don’t grow wild out here in the country, but you’ll see it in gardens, especially in warmer places like Africa where it’s native. This plant is a perennial, which means it’ll come back every year, though it ain’t as tough as the usual grasses you find in the field. It’s picky when it comes to the cold weather—gotta take care of it proper in the winter months.

Now, if you’re planning on putting this purple grass in your garden, you better make sure it gets enough sun. It loves the sunshine and needs to be watered real good when it’s young. After the first few months, you can back off on watering it too much, but don’t leave it too dry. That’ll keep it lookin’ pretty, with them purple tips showing off in the breeze.
Another type of purple grass, though it ain’t exactly purple all the time, is Eragrostis spectabilis, or purple love grass. It’s a fine little bunchgrass that’s native to the Eastern parts of North America. It gets its name because of the way the flowers look, but the grass itself can spread by seeds, so you gotta keep an eye on it. It’s a bit finer in texture, and it sure does look good when planted in bunches, all waving in the wind like a purple sea. You’ll find it in meadows or those fancy flower beds folks tend to make in the yard. It don’t mind the dry weather too much, so if you forget to water it now and then, it’ll still survive.
If you really want to get technical, there’s also a grass called Tridens flavus, or purpletop. It’s a bunchgrass too, but it’s not as fancy as the other ones. It’s found mostly in Eastern North America. It don’t get as purple as the others, but the tops can turn a nice purple color in the fall, making it look all pretty when the rest of the plants are turning colors. It’s a good choice if you want something that’s low-maintenance but still a little different from the regular green grass.
Now, let me tell y’all something else. If you want purple grass, you might have to look real hard, ’cause it don’t grow everywhere. Some folks even get these plants and grow them in pots if they ain’t in the right climate. And don’t forget, purple grass needs a little extra care, especially if the winter gets real cold. You gotta trim it back before spring comes around, so it can grow nice and healthy when the warm weather hits again.
So, to answer your question, yes, there really is purple grass. It’s just not the kind we see out in the fields all the time. You got a couple of different types you can plant in your garden or yard, and they’ll sure make a show when the weather’s right. You just gotta know how to take care of them, and they’ll be as pretty as can be.
Tags:[Purple Grass, Fountain Grass, Purple Love Grass, Gardening, Pennisetum Setaceum, Purpletop Grass, Eragrostis Spectabilis, Tridens Flavus, Growing Purple Grass, Perennial Grass]
