# Pampas Grass (*Cortaderia selloana*)

Pampas Grass is a tall, fluffy plant with feathery white or pink flowers. It grows in large clumps and sways gracefully in the wind, adding beauty to gardens and landscapes.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands
- **Also known as:** Cortaderia, Plume Grass

![Pampas Grass](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cortaderia_selloana0.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cortaderia_selloana0.jpg)

## Appearance

The Pampas Grass is a very tall, clumping grass with long, narrow, saw-edged leaves. It has impressive, feathery plumes that range in color from silvery-white to pinkish-purple, rising high above the foliage, making it visually distinct from other grasses.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Poales
- **Family:** Poaceae
- **Genus:** Cortaderia

## Interesting facts

- Each mature Pampas Grass plant can produce over one million tiny seeds in a single year!
- Its leaves have edges so sharp they can easily cut skin, earning it the nickname 'cut grass'!
- The beautiful, fluffy plumes can last for months, staying decorative even after they dry out!
- This grass can grow so quickly, it can form dense thickets in open fields in just a few years!

## Special abilities

- **Razor-Edge Defense:** Pampas Grass has leaves with tiny, sharp, serrated edges that help it defend against hungry herbivores.
- **Deep Anchor Roots:** Pampas Grass has powerful, deep roots that help it survive droughts and stabilize loose soil, especially on dunes.
- **Seed Shower Spreader:** Pampas Grass produces an incredible number of fluffy seeds, helping it spread quickly and colonize new areas.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 200-300 cm
- **Spread:** 100-200 cm
- **Flower Size:** 30-90 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** Mycorrhizal Fungus (*Rhizophagus irregularis*) — helps absorb water and nutrients
- **Shelter:** [Cougar](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cougar) (*Puma concolor*) — provides dense cover for resting or hunting
- **Shelter:** White-browed Meadowlark (*Sturnella superciliaris*) — uses dense clumps for nesting sites

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.

## Collections

- [Grasslands](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasslands)
- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Enjoy the beauty of Pampas Grass from a distance to avoid any irritation from its sharp leaves.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Pampas Grass?

Compare seed heads, stem shape, how leaves attach, and the joint where leaf meets stem. A patch of mown lawn rarely shows enough for an exact ID. Grass Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Pampas Grass?

200-300 cm

### How wide does Pampas Grass spread?

100-200 cm

### How big are the flowers on Pampas Grass?

30-90 cm

### When does Pampas Grass bloom?

Late summer to fall

### Is Pampas Grass edible?

No

### Is Pampas Grass toxic?

Mild

### What is Pampas Grass's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Osaka Garden of Floral Culture](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/osaka-garden-of-floral-culture) — Kansai, JP · Park
- [Shoreline Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shoreline-park) — California, US · Park
- [Botanic Gardens of Toyama](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/botanic-gardens-of-toyama) — Chubu, JP · Park
- [Jindai Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jindai-botanical-gardens) — Tokyo, JP · Park
- [Kanoya Rose Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kanoya-rose-garden) — Kyushu, JP · Park

[View all places to see Pampas Grass](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/pampas-grass)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Pampas Grass: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pampas-grass)