Groundcover & Vines – Tall – First Knight Ornamental Napier

First Knight Ornamental Napier 

Botanical name: pennisetum ‘first knight’ 

Beginner friendly?: yes

Average size at maturity: 4-5 ft in height with a spread of 2-3 ft 

Hardy zone: zones 7-11 

Growth rate: reaches fully mature size in 1-3 growing seasons 

Foliage color: black/purple, green  

Flower color: red

Bloom time:  fall, winter 

Pruning instructions: cut back to 1 ft above the soil line in the late winter/early spring before new growth begins to emerge 

Propagation methods: propagate by division during the spring season 

Landscape use: mass planting, background foliage, container plant 

Special features: dark foliage, unique blooms, tropical looking, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, disease resistant, salt tolerant 

Light needs: 4-6 hours of sun per day 

Watering instructions: allow the top 1-3 inches of soil to dry out between watering sessions 

Fertilizing instructions : fertilize with compost 

Best time to plant: spring, fall 

Best type of soil: loam 

Companion plants: coneflower, coreopsis, winterberry holly, prairie dropseed 

Toxicity level: non-toxic for humans and pets, mildly toxic for farm animals in ingested in large quantities

Invasive species: no