Pampas grass is a grass native to South America. This grass is famous for growing to incredible heights under cultivation, and it produces distinctive tall stalks of silky flowers in the summer which have led some people to plant it as an ornamental. Thanks to the demand for ornamental pampas grass, a number of cultivars have been bred to display specific traits, including dwarf cultivars and versions which produce distinctively colored flowers.
This plant is more formally known as Cortaderia selloana, and it is abundant in the plains regions known as the pampas in nations like Argentina. Pampas grass grows in dense tussocks, putting out long, blade-like leaves with serrated edges. These leaves can grow to be as much as six feet (two meters) long, and the tussock itself can top 10 feet (roughly three meters) in height, making pampas grass a formidable feature on the landscape.
In its natural environment, pampas grass provides shelter to a wide range of mammals and birds. When the flowers mature into seeds, the fine silky threads can be borne on the wind for miles, ensuring that the plant is well-seeded, and the plants are adapted to a wide variety of conditions, including extreme heat and cold. Pampas grass will also endure through flooding and fires.
As an ornamental, pampas grass has some distinct advantages. It grows quickly, which can be useful in immature landscaping, and it requires little to no work once it is established, which can appeal to some gardeners. However, pampas grass can also take over the garden very rapidly, and it will freely seed itself across the neighborhood as well, to the dismay of neighbors who might not be interested in growing pampas grass.
In some areas, the grass is classified as an invasive species, because it has a tendency to choke out native plants, and it can become very unsightly. Especially in areas heavily trafficked by people, pampas grass is also a nuisance, because the serrated blades can be extremely painful to encounter. The grass is also difficult to eradicate; it is necessary to remove the entirety of a tussock, including the roots, and techniques like burning will not stop the plant from coming back. As a result, people are encouraged to think carefully before introducing pampas, and to pull up pampas starts which have volunteered themselves in the yard promptly, before they have a chance to grow.
Opting for an indoor putting green is a smart way to sidestep the potential pitfalls of dealing with outdoor landscaping, such as invasive plants like pampas grass. Indoor putting greens provide golf enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to practice their putting skills within the confines of their homes, regardless of the weather outside.