Pennisetum setaceum
Crimson fountain grass
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Pennisetum setaceum (Crimson fountain grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by distinctive pink-red coloration and free bristles.
Crimson fountain grass is a naturalized perennial herb found in coastal and desert regions including the Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Desert at elevations below 100 meters in disturbed areas. Flowering from March to December, this grass produces stunning pink to dark red panicle-like inflorescences with delicate, feathery bristles 8 to 30 centimeters long. Growing with erect stems 40 to 150 centimeters tall in dense clumps, it forms a dramatic and graceful landscape presence. Its leaves are long and slender, measuring 20 to 65 centimeters in length and 2 to 3.5 millimeters wide, with smooth upper surfaces and glabrous sheaths. The grass produces delicate spikelets 4.5 to 7 millimeters long with intricate bristles that give it a soft, fountain-like appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; distinctive pink-red coloration and free bristles
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 100 m
California counties: San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, Monterey, Marin, San Luis Obispo, Tuolumne, Yolo, Solano, Imperial, San Mateo, Alameda, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Fresno, Santa Cruz
Outside California: Oregon, Nevada to Florida, Baja California, native to Africa
Bloom period
Pennisetum setaceum blooms Mar-Dec.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Setaria: In Pennisetum the bristles beneath each spikelet fall attached to the spikelet as one unit; in bristlegrass the bristles stay behind on the axis when the seed drops.; vs Cenchrus: Pennisetum bristles are free and plumose, giving a soft fountain-like brush; Cenchrus bristles fuse into a hard spiny burr that clings to fur and clothing.; vs Polypogon: Pennisetum spikes bear fascicles of naked bristles subtending the spikelets; rabbitsfoot grass has soft awned glumes rather than bristle clusters.; vs Phleum: Pennisetum has a bristly, often colorful brush-like spike; timothy is a dense cylindric spike of awn-tipped glumes with no bristle fascicles.; vs Alopecurus: Pennisetum spikelets sit in bristly clusters that shed as a unit; foxtail has soft single spikelets with glumes joined at the base.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pennisetum setaceum native to California?
No. Pennisetum setaceum is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Pennisetum setaceum bloom?
Pennisetum setaceum blooms Mar-Dec.
Where in California does Pennisetum setaceum grow?
Pennisetum setaceum occurs in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, Monterey and other counties, at elevations of < 100 m.
What plant family does Pennisetum setaceum belong to?
Pennisetum setaceum is in the Poaceae family, genus Pennisetum.
Is Pennisetum setaceum invasive in California?
Pennisetum setaceum is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.