Fountain grass 'Little Bunny'
Cenchrus alopecuroides 'Little Bunny' · Poaceae
A miniature fountain grass, only knee high, with small, fluffy, cream bottle-brush flowers like rabbits' tails from late summer.
- Size
- 14 in tall, 16 in wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Late July to mid September
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Edging
A bed built around fountain grass 'Little Bunny'
The planner designed this bed around fountain grass 'Little Bunny' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) naturalistic planting in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why fountain grass 'Little Bunny' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Fountain grass 'Little Bunny' × 4, cream
- 2 Creeping phlox 'Emerald Blue' × 5, blue
- 3 Sea thrift × 7, pink
- 4 False sunflower 'Summer Sun' × 3, yellow
- 5 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 3, purple
- 6 Inkberry 'Gem Box' × 1, dark green leaves
- 7 Spring starflower × 10, white
- 8 Giant snowdrop × 12, white
Why this plant
- Part of the matrix. The low fabric of grasses and groundcovers that the taller plants come up through.
- The only plumes. The others are open bowls, globes, daisies and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- The only cream. Cream sits between stronger colours and calms them.
Why here
- In the middle. At 14 in it is the step between creeping phlox 'Emerald Blue' (5 in) in front and false sunflower 'Summer Sun' (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- A step in the back row. Next to Tatarian aster 'Jindai' (4 ft) and false sunflower 'Summer Sun' (3½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 4 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- In flower for 9 weeks. From late July to mid September.
- Fills a gap. For two of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
- Stands through winter. Left uncut, it holds its shape until March, when the perennials have gone.
Planned as a naturalistic planting: low grasses and groundcovers, the matrix, make up 39% of the planted ground. Something is in flower for 35 weeks, from mid February to early November. The flowering is at its height in early May, with 3 kinds out together.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 5 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where fountain grass 'Little Bunny' goes in a border
At 14 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: edging. A low, neat plant used in short runs of three or five along the front to finish the edge (or, in a formal bed, in one even row).
It gives the rounded fountain shape in a size that fits the front of any border. Repeat it along an edge.
- Edging and small gardens
- Rock gardens and containers
- Soft texture at the front of a bed
What to plant with fountain grass 'Little Bunny'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': in flower together for six weeks, from mid August; bold leaves against its fine ones; tall enough (24 in) to stand behind it.
- Black-eyed Susan 'Little Goldstar': in flower together for nine weeks, from late July.
- Threadleaf coreopsis 'Moonbeam': in flower together for seven weeks, from late July.
Questions about fountain grass 'Little Bunny'
Does fountain grass 'Little Bunny' need sun or shade?
Fountain grass 'Little Bunny' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does fountain grass 'Little Bunny' grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does fountain grass 'Little Bunny' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late July to mid September. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 5 | Late July to mid September |
|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Late July to mid September |
| Zone 7 | Mid July to mid September |
| Zone 8 | Mid July to mid September |
| Zone 9 | Mid July to mid September |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should fountain grass 'Little Bunny' be planted?
16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.
It grows 14 in (35 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many fountain grass 'Little Bunny' plants do I need?
At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 21 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).
In the bed above, the planner used four in one group.
Is fountain grass 'Little Bunny' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Is there a native plant like fountain grass 'Little Bunny'?
Fountain grass 'Little Bunny' comes from East Asia, Western Australia. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Threadleaf coreopsis 'Moonbeam': the same job in a bed; 4 in taller, flowers late June to early September.
- Scarlet coral bells: the same job in a bed; 4 in taller, flowers late May to late July.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat fountain grass 'Little Bunny'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
Will fountain grass 'Little Bunny' spread?
It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Can self-seed in warm climates, and the species is listed as invasive in some regions. Check local guidance and remove the seed heads if seedlings appear.
What flowers after fountain grass 'Little Bunny'?
Fountain grass 'Little Bunny' is over by mid September. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
- October daphne: from mid September to late October, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Meadow saffron: from mid September to mid October, 6 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does fountain grass 'Little Bunny' look like in winter?
Fountain grass 'Little Bunny' turns the colour of straw and, left uncut, stands through the winter, with seed for the birds. Cut it down in late winter, before the new shoots come up.
Is fountain grass 'Little Bunny' good for bees and butterflies?
Fountain grass 'Little Bunny' is visited by songbirds.
More Cenchrus
- Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln' Cenchrus alopecuroides 'Hameln' (formerly Pennisetum)
- Fountain grass 'Burgundy Bunny' Cenchrus alopecuroides 'Burgundy Bunny'
- Oriental fountain grass 'Karley Rose' Cenchrus orientalis 'Karley Rose'
- Purple fountain grass Cenchrus x advena 'Rubrum' (formerly Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum')
In these guides
- Salt-tolerant plants for roadsides and coasts
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Ornamental grasses under 3 feet
Every fact on record
- Type
- Grass
- Size
- 14 in (35 cm) tall, 16 in (40 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Late July to mid September; feathery plumes; cream
- Leaves
- Fine texture, herbaceous; green
- Shape
- Mounding, self-seeding
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Poaceae
- Comes from
- East Asia, Western Australia
- Attracts
- Songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, drought, salt
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.