OISC target species
fountain grass

fountain grass/ fountaingrass

Pennisetum setaceum (Poaceae)

Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) poses a major threat to many of Hawaii's natural and developed areas and has been designated a noxious weed  by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources has designated fountain grass as one of Hawaii's Most Invasive Horticultural Plants.

Fountain grass, native to Africa, is a clumping grass up to a meter (three feet) tall with long purple to rose-colored inflorescences. Originally introduced as an ornamental plant, fountain grass has become an aggressive, habitat-altering invader. It is not a good pasture grass, and it degrades the quality of pasture lands, particularly in drier areas. Fountain grass is also fire-adapted and can sustain fires that spread quickly into adjacent areas. The worst infestation occurs on the Island of Hawaii, where fountain grass covers at least 200,000 acres. Resource managers on the Big Island spend over $500,000 per year controlling fountain grass. Fewer than 200 acres of fountain grass occur on the island of Oahu. Most of the fourteen populations on the island have been treated at least once. Major infestations occur on Diamond Head and Punchbowl Craters and in Lanikai.

For more information:

• fountain grass flyer  from the Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)
• Pennisetum setaceum species information from Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR)