• Image of Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose' |Walters Gardens, MI|

    Photo by taken at Walters Gardens, MI

  • Image of Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose' |Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG

    Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC

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Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose'

Karley Rose Oriental Fountain Grass

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

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Item #: 184

Zones: 6a to 8a, at least

Dormancy: Winter

Height: 36" tall

Culture: Sun to Part Sun

Origin: Asia

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


(USPP 12,909 expired) This selection of the deer-resistant Pennisetum orientale was discovered in 1995 by David Skwiot of Connecticut's Sunny Border Nurseries. Pennisetum 'Karley Rose' (named after David's daughter) stood out from all the other plants in a block of Pennisetum orientale seedlings for darker green foliage with a much taller and more upright habit. I really love this fountain grass and even after growing it for over 15 years, still hold it in very high esteem. For us, the lovely reddish-pink plumes top the clump starting in late May, but further north the plumes don't peak until early to mid-August. Trials have revealed that Pennisetum 'Karley Rose' is also much more winter hardy than typical Pennisetum orientale. It's not hard to say enough good things about Pennisetum 'Karley Rose'.