Proven Winners® Graceful Grasses® Vertigo® Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum purpureum ‘Vertigo®’)

Proven Winners® Graceful Grasses® Vertigo® Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum purpureum ‘Vertigo®’) is a dramatic ornamental grass prized for its towering deep purple-black foliage and bold tropical appearance. This vigorous grass creates striking height, texture, and movement in patio containers, landscape beds, and mixed summer plantings throughout the growing season.

The wide arching leaves emerge deep burgundy and darken to nearly black in full sun, creating exceptional contrast against flowering annuals and lighter foliage plants. Its upright growth habit makes Vertigo® an ideal thriller plant for large containers and focal-point plantings. Unlike many ornamental grasses, this variety is grown primarily for its dramatic foliage rather than flowers.

In Alberta, Vertigo® Purple Fountain Grass performs best in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil and regular watering. It thrives during warm Prairie summers and develops the darkest foliage colour under strong sunlight. Its fast growth and tropical appearance make it a standout feature in summer patio and landscape displays.