Cortaderia selloana Mini Silver Pampas - Mini Silver Pampas Grass

IMPORTANT: for the preservation of our natural ecosystems, we have removed this plant from our catalogue as it is considered invasive. Therefore, it is no longer available for sale.

The Cortaderia selloana 'Mini Silver Pampas', with its green foliage striped with white, is the brightest variety in this line of small-sized pampas grasses. These grasses are also very floriferous and hardy. Qualities that are sought after for the ornamentation of small gardens or terraces. This "Silver" selection forms a dense clump of fine leaves, from which numerous plume-like and silky panicles of cream-white colour with silver reflections emerge in late summer. This pretty perennial grass is as easy to grow as the classic pampas grass.

The Cortaderia selloana 'Mini Silver Pampas' is a recent horticultural variety. It comes from, among others, a large and ornamental grass that is also known as Gynerium or Cortaderia argentea, belonging to the Poaceae family. This plant is native to South America, specifically Argentina and Brazil, where it abundantly colonises the edges of roads and paths, stream banks, and fallow areas by self-seeding. This species is characterised by its great adaptability to soil, accepting both intermittently waterlogged soils and the semi-arid conditions of subtropical climate regions. It is a dioecious plant, meaning that there are male and female plants. It has given rise to numerous cultivars, which vary greatly in hardiness.

The 'Mini Silver Pampas' variety stands out for its compact growth, as well as its "variegated" foliage and increased floribundance. This grass forms a tuft of linear, evergreen foliage during not too harsh winters. The leaves are slender, sharp, tough, and rustling. They are green, with white lines running along their entire length. The mature plant will reach a height of about 75-80 cm (30-32in) when in flower, with a spread of 70-80 cm (28-32in). Its slightly arching habit resembles that of a fountain. Its beautiful flower heads appear in late summer, in August-September, in the centre of the tuft in the form of large plume-like panicles that remain on the plant at least until November. They are borne on sturdy cylindrical stems that are highly wind-resistant.

This large grass has been omnipresent in our gardens since the 1960s. The only point that can perhaps be emphasised is the misuse that has been made of it. It is true that it looks a bit ridiculous, planted there, all alone in the middle of a lawn, when it is so beautiful when used in mass plantings or among shrubs. The Cortaderia selloana 'Mini Silver Pampas' forms elegant clumps, truly bright, with a very exotic appearance. Very undemanding, it has the advantage of adapting to all gardens, even small ones. Superb in mass plantings, its strong presence brings them structure and grace. Plant it among red hot pokers, giant asters, or tall perennial sunflowers. In a wild and tousled atmosphere or in a modern and sleek one, it is watched as it plays with the wind and bends under rain showers. In urban areas, pampas grass integrates well, with its pastel colours, it is ideal for softening angles without clashing.

Attention: The classic pampas grass, the botanical species, is invasive in certain regions. Escaping from gardens, it colonises fallow lands, sandy environments and wetlands causing significant ecological disturbance. If you live in an affected region, we recommend that you do not plant it. It can be replaced by many other architectural grasses, such as Panic grasses or Miscanthus.