A deciduous, perennial grass with fine leaves that form a loosely tufted bunch in spring.

The greeny-white, wheat-like flowers emerge from this clump in mid summer and these are the real stars of the show. They float like little clouds above the foliage, catching the breeze and bobbing about. Their fluffy texture will soften surrounding planting schemes and they look particularly good when the sun catches them from behind.

A great plant for a sensory garden as you can't help but want to touch it. A native of North Eastern tropical Africa, Pennisetum villosum is not fully hardy and may not survive the winter in colder areas, so are often grown as an annual, but they will usually self seed.