Pennisetum alopecuroides Lumen Gold - Chinese Fountain Grass

The Pennisetum alopecuroides Lumen Gold 'JS Jommenik', born in Belgium and winner of the ISU Award in 2018, is a grass with fluffy plumes that stands out for its delicate foliage in acid tones, well supplied, gathered in a graceful fountain. This compact selection offers spring foliage that is even more golden when cold, turning lime green in summer. The vegetation is adorned with late summer and decorative flowering in the form of sparkling spikes that turn beige when ripe. Attractive from spring to autumn, this grass can be tucked anywhere in the beds of annuals and perennials, rockeries, or pathways. Lumen Gold JS Jommenik is an excellent variety for ornamental use on patios and balconies.

The Pennisetum alopecuroides Lumen Gold 'JS Jommenik' is a perennial grass belonging to the large Poaceae family. Its ancestor is native to a large area of Northeast Asia and Australia. This Lumen Gold variety forms a dense clump with an open habit, 50 cm (20in) tall and 40 cm (16in) wide. The vegetation consists of thin, long, trailing yellow leaves that turn acidic green. The flowering culms emerge from the foliage in August, bearing characteristic inflorescences composed of very silky spikelets gathered in exceptionally bright panicles, 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) long—their colour changes from green-white to light brown-beige in September-October. The foliage also celebrates the arrival of autumn by turning a brilliant gold again. The plant remains decorative for part of the winter, with its remnants covered in frost.

This Lumen Gold grass expresses its full potential in a container on a contemporary terrace. Its elegance is also appreciated among opulent or stiffer perennials, such as tall sedums, dahlias, or perovskias. This grass brings a touch of flexibility to any landscape. It can also be associated with cushion-shaped plants (heucheras, lady's mantles) or more wandering and lighter ones, such as achilleas, Lychnis coronaria, Buenos Aires verbena, gauras, etc.

Pennisetum alopecuroides grasses are very hardy and relatively resistant to summer drought, allowing them to provide movement when strategically placed between rocks in a rockery or on a wall. These grasses take on an incomparable brilliance in low light and transparently emphasize all perspectives, even in the smallest of gardens. They are highly tactile in a flowery meadow or along a pathway: their plumes are as silky to the touch as they appear. Pennisetum also has the advantage of limiting erosion phenomena through its dense root system.