What To Plant With Purple Fountain Grass In A Container

Choosing what to plant with purple fountain grass in a container can feel tricky. This stunning grass, with its arching burgundy leaves and feathery plumes, deserves companions that make it shine, not compete with it. The good news is that with a few simple design principles, you can create a stunning pot that looks professional and thrives all season.

The key is to pick plants that love the same conditions: full sun and well-drained soil. You’ll want partners that offer contrasting colors, textures, and forms. Let’s look at how to build the perfect container display around your star grass.

This combination is all about creating a balanced, eye-catching scene. Purple fountain grass is a thriller—a tall, architectural plant that acts as the focal point. To complete the classic “thriller, filler, spiller” formula, you need to add plants around it.

Fillers are mid-height plants that add bulk and color. Spillers cascade over the edge of the pot, softening its lines. When you combine all three, you get a full, lush look. Here are some of the best plant partners, broken down by their role.

Top Plant Companions for Color and Contrast

Purple fountain grass provides a deep, moody hue. You can play with this in two ways: use complementary colors for a vibrant look, or analogous colors for a soothing, monochromatic scheme.

For a bold, warm contrast, try these companions:

Bright Yellow or Orange Flowers: Plants like ‘Luscious Citrus Blend’ Lantana, ‘Superbells Yellow’ Calibrachoa, or African Daisies (Osteospermum) pop brilliantly against the purple foliage.
Silver Foliage: Dusty Miller or Silver Falls Dichondra reflect light and make the purple look even richer. Their soft texture is a great foil for the grass blades.
Clean White Blooms: White Petunias, Bacopa, or Alyssum provide a crisp, classic contrast that highlights both the color and the form of the grass.

For a cooler, more harmonious look, consider these options:

Purple and Blue Tones: Pair with ‘Blue My Mind’ Evolvulus, lavender, or ‘Laguna Sky Blue’ Lobelia. This creates a sophisticated, tonal palette.
Pink Accents: Soft pink Verbena, Supertunia ‘Pretty Much Picasso’ (which has pink flowers and variegated foliage), or pink Geraniums offer a gentle, romantic contrast.

Best Spillers to Trail Over the Edge

Spillers are essential for making a container look abundant and finished. They draw the eye downward and connect the pot to the ground. Choose spillers that won’t overwhelm the grass but will complement it.

Excellent spiller choices include:

Sweet Potato Vine (‘Marguerite’ or ‘Blackie’): Provides a vigorous cascade of bright lime green or deep purple leaves, respectively.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia): Its chartreuse, round leaves on trailing stems add a beautiful, light-catching element.
Calibrachoa (Million Bells): Available in almost every color, they offer months of small, petunia-like flowers that spill over generously.
Trailing Verbena: Offers clusters of flowers in many colors and has a lovely, relaxed trailing habit.

Reliable Fillers for Mid-Level Interest

Fillers build the body of your container arrangement. They fill the space between the tall grass and the spillers, creating a layered effect. Look for plants with interesting leaf shapes or flower forms.

Some of the most reliable filler plants are:

Angelonia (Summer Snapdragon): Spikes of flowers in purple, pink, or white that echo the grass’s upright form but with a different texture.
Coleus: With endless leaf patterns and colors, you can find a coleus to match or contrast any scheme. They thrive in sun if you keep them watered.
Zinnias (Profusion series): These provide cheerful, daisy-like flowers all summer and are very heat-tolerant.
Salvia (‘Mystic Spires Blue’ or ‘Rockin’ Fuchsia’): Another spike-flowered plant that adds vertical interest and attracts pollinators.

Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Your Container

Now that you’ve chosen your plants, here’s how to put it all together for success.

Choose the Right Pot: Select a container at least 16-18 inches in diameter and depth. It must have excellent drainage holes. Purple fountain grass has a large root system and needs space.
Use Quality Potting Mix: Fill the pot with a high-quality, well-draining potting mix. Do not use garden soil, as it compacts in containers. You can mix in a slow-release fertilizer at this stage.
Arrange Your Plants: While they’re still in their nursery pots, place them on top of the soil to arrange them. Put the fountain grass slightly off-center towards the back. Place fillers around its base, and spillers near the front edge.
Plant from the Center Out: Remove the grass from its pot and plant it first at the correct depth. Then, plant your fillers, and finally, add the spillers at the edge so they can trail immediately.
Water Thoroughly: After planting, water the container deeply until water runs freely from the drainage holes. This settles the soil around the roots.

Caring for Your Container Combination

Consistent care will keep your display looking its best from spring until fall.

Sunlight: Place the container in a location that gets at least 6-8 hours of direct sun daily.
Watering: Check soil moisture daily in hot weather. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. The grass is drought-tolerant but performs best with consistent moisture, especially in a pot.
Feeding: Fertilize every 2-3 weeks with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer to support constant blooming and growth throughout the season.
Deadheading: Regularly remove spent flowers from your filler and spiller plants to encourage more blooms.

FAQ: Your Container Gardening Questions

Can purple fountain grass survive winter in a pot?
In most climates, no. It is perennial only in warm zones (9-11). In colder areas, treat it as an annual or bring the entire pot indoors before frost to a cool, bright location and water sparingly over winter.

How often should I water my container with fountain grass?
Containers dry out fast. In peak summer, you may need to water every day. Always check the soil first; if it’s damp, wait. Overwatering can be just as harmful as underwatering.

What are good companion plants for partial sun?
If your spot gets 4-6 hours of sun, the grass may be less vibrant but can still work. Choose companions like Begonias, Fuchsias, or New Guinea Impatiens which tolerate some shade.

Why is my fountain grass not turning purple?
Insufficient sunlight is the most common reason. It needs full, direct sun to develop its best color. Also, to much nitrogen fertilizer can push green growth at the expense of purple pigment.

Creating the perfect container with purple fountain grass is about balance and contrast. By choosing companions that share its love for sun and good drainage, you can build a low-maintenance, high-impact display. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different color combinations each year—that’s half the fun of container gardening. With these tips, your pot will be the highlight of your patio or porch all season long.