Setaria palmifolia

A tropical whisper in the Southern breeze, with blades like folded fans and the manner of something half-remembered from a wilder, older garden.

Palm Grass, or Setaria palmifolia, is not a grass to edge politely along the margins—it is a plant that makes a statement, not in clamor, but in presence. With its broad, pleated blades that call to mind the fronds of a young palm, it brings a lush, bright green boldness to borders, beds, and wild corners where form and texture are welcome companions.

Though native to India, the seed for this particular line was collected in the streetside plantings of Buenos Aires, where the grass swayed in quiet rhythm beside stone walls and iron gates—far from its ancestral soil but no less at home. In our own Southern climate, it settles comfortably, growing fast and full in sun or dappled shade, especially where the soil is rich and moist.

Unlike many tropicals, Palm Grass has a surprising hardiness, returning in warm zones and re-seeding freely where winters are kind. In Zones 8b and above, it may become perennial, and even where it is cut back by frost, it often reemerges when the days grow long again.

Origin: Native to India; seed source from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Foliage: Broad, pleated, bright green blades resembling palm fronds
Growth Habit: Clumping; reseeds in mild climates
Notable Traits: Tropical appearance, textural foliage, self-sowing, fast-growing
Garden Uses: Accent plant, tropical borders, cottage gardens, meadow-style plantings