Lemon Squeeze Fountain Grass

Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Lemon Squeeze'

Poaceae

• Full sun
• 18"–24" tall × 24"–30" wide
• Drought Tolerant: Yes – once established; tolerates heat and dry conditions well
• Evergreen: No
• Flower Color/Bloom Time: Creamy white to pale yellow bottlebrush plumes, August–October
• Wildlife Benefits: Seeds attract songbirds; dense clumps provide small wildlife cover

'Lemon Squeeze' is a compact, tidy cultivar of Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) selected for its bright chartreuse-yellow to lime-green foliage, which provides exceptional color contrast in the summer garden. It forms a dense, rounded mound of fine-textured, arching leaves and is notably smaller than the species, making it well-suited for border edging, containers, and small-space landscapes. It thrives in full sun in Spokane's climate and performs best in well-drained soils of average to low fertility. Once established, it is notably heat and drought tolerant.

The foliage of 'Lemon Squeeze' is its primary ornamental feature — the vivid yellow-green color holds well through summer and intensifies in full sun before transitioning to warm gold tones in autumn. In late summer, creamy white to pale yellow bottlebrush-shaped plumes emerge on upright stems above the foliage, adding a soft, airy texture. The combination of bright foliage and fluffy seed heads creates multi-season interest that carries from spring through hard frost. The clumps die back in winter but return reliably in spring from established crowns.

Like other fountain grasses, 'Lemon Squeeze' provides modest wildlife value. The seed heads attract finches and sparrows in fall and winter, and the dense clumps offer small-scale cover for ground-dwelling birds and insects. It is more restrained in seed production than the straight species, making it a better-behaved choice for gardens where self-seeding could be a concern. Note that Pennisetum alopecuroides is generally considered non-invasive.

In the Spokane landscape, 'Lemon Squeeze' is an outstanding choice for adding bold foliage color contrast to perennial borders, mixed beds, and xeriscape designs. Its compact size works well along walkways, in mass plantings, and as a container specimen. It pairs beautifully with plants that echo its golden tones or provide complementary contrast, including Blue Fescue, Russian Sage, Purple Coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, and Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass. Cut back to a few inches in early spring before new growth emerges.