Pennisetum with character – from Neon Lights to Tiny Twinkler
2 November 2026
Read this newsletter as text
Movement, colour and character 🌾
Some plants bring colour to the garden. Others bring movement.
Pennisetum does both.
With its elegant foliage and characteristic bottlebrush-like flower spikes, Pennisetum is one of those ornamental grasses that really comes to life when the wind moves through it.
From soft cream and silvery tones to deep burgundy and almost black flower spikes, there is much more variation within this genus than you might expect.
This week, we are taking a closer look at some of our favourites.
Something you don’t see every day – Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Neon Lights’
The name already gives away that this is not your average Pennisetum.
‘Neon Lights’ immediately stands out with its remarkable neon-yellow flower stems, topped with creamy-white flower plumes.
The contrast between the bright stems, soft plumes and green foliage gives this variety a completely different appearance from the more traditional Pennisetum selections.
It forms a compact and dense plant, reaching approximately 80 cm in height and 40 cm in width.
Add good drought tolerance, winter hardiness and low maintenance requirements, and you have an interesting variety for borders, prairie-style planting and containers.
A real eye-catcher – even from a distance.
Dark or fluffy?
Two very different varieties, both with plenty of character.
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Black Beauty’ is all about contrast.
Its dark, almost black flower spikes rise above the fresh green foliage and give the plant a strong, dramatic appearance.
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Foxtrot’, on the other hand, has large, fluffy flower spikes and an elegant upright habit.
Where Black Beauty creates depth and contrast, Foxtrot brings softness and movement.
Small plant, big effect – Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Tiny Twinkler’
Not every ornamental grass needs a lot of space.
‘Tiny Twinkler’ stays remarkably compact, reaching only around 40 cm in height and width, including its flower spikes.
Its neat flower plumes rise clearly above the foliage, giving the plant a well-balanced and elegant appearance.
It flowers throughout summer and autumn and combines its compact growth with drought tolerance, good winter hardiness and very low maintenance requirements.
That makes it particularly interesting for smaller gardens, borders and containers.
And there is more to discover
Of course, our Pennisetum assortment goes beyond these highlighted varieties.
‘Hameln’ remains a popular compact classic, with abundant creamy-white to soft brown flower spikes.
‘Herbstzauber’ brings warm seasonal tones and decorative flower spikes into the autumn garden.
‘Red Head’ stands out with large reddish-purple plumes, while ‘Viridescens’ produces dark purple to almost black flower spikes.
For something softer and more graceful, Pennisetum orientale ‘Fairy Tails’ produces long, silky, pinkish-white flower spikes that arch gently above the foliage.
And for very compact planting, ‘Little Bunny’ remains a useful choice for smaller gardens and containers.
From compact to dramatic
That is what makes Pennisetum so versatile.
From the bright stems of ‘Neon Lights’ and the dark plumes of ‘Black Beauty’ to the compact growth of ‘Tiny Twinkler’, every variety brings something different to the assortment.
At Hoogenraad, we offer our Pennisetum varieties as young plants for further cultivation.
Discover the possibilities in our current availability list and find the varieties that fit your assortment for the coming season. 🌱
The minimum order depends on the size of the plants:
- P9 -> 80 pcs / variety
- P12 -> 75 pcs / variety
- P14, C2 -> 50 pcs / variety
- C3 and bigger -> 25 pcs / variety
FAQ:
How should I make my order?
Complete the “order” column in the attached Excel file and send it to info@hoogenraadplant.nl. Do not change the content of the file, just enter the number of plants ordered. In the email, provide the company name, contact details, and the expected date of receipt of the order – this will help us plan work in the nursery.
When will my order be confirmed?
Every order we receive is confirmed within 48 hours (working days). If during this time you do not receive an email from us, check your “spam” and “offers” or call us.
When can I pick up my order?
We adjust the dates of orders to meet your needs, so report the date of the planned collection 2 weeks in advance (February-April – 3 weeks in advance). This will facilitate the timely, efficient, and correct preparation of plants and their careful packaging.
Pickup of orders is possible from Week 47 till week 19.
I’m a new customer, when do I have to pay?
We accept cash payments, credit cards, and bank transfers to our bank account based on a pro forma invoice before picking up your order. Pre-payment includes 100% of the order value. After making the payment, please send us confirmation of the transfer because it accelerates the preparation of the plants for pickup.
Contact us to find out more about our offer:
info@hoogenraadplant.nl
+31 (0) 318 57 16 65
we speak Dutch, English, and German
Follow us:
Hoogenraad Handelskwekerijen bv
Oudendijk 1B | 6744 PT Ederveen, NL
tel. +31 (0) 318 571665
info@hoogenraadplant.nl