Plant · GBIF taxon 2704523
Pampas Grass
Cortaderia selloanaAlso known as Silver Pampas Grass, Uruguayan Pampas Grass, Selloa Pampas Grass
Pampas grass forms massive, dense tussocks of arching leaves topped by feathery silver-white or pink plumes that rise up to four meters tall. Highly adaptable and prolific, a single mature plant can produce over a million wind-dispersed seeds in its lifetime, allowing it to colonize dunes, riverbanks, and roadsides rapidly. Outside its native South American grasslands, this hardy perennial often displaces native vegetation and increases wildfire hazards.
InvasiveOrnamentalPerennial
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Sunlight
- Water
- Soil nutrients
Predators
- Grazing livestock
ThreatsHabitat management, fire control, physical removal, herbicide application
HabitatsGrasslands, coastal dunes, disturbed roadsides, riverbanks
Life span10–15 years or more
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPoales
- FamilyPoaceae
- GenusCortaderia
- SpeciesCortaderia selloana
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Serrated leaf blades can cause painful skin cuts; wear heavy gloves and long sleeves if handling.
- Why it is dangerous
- Leaf margins are lined with microscopic silica teeth that cause painful skin cuts upon contact.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Look for huge, fountain-like clumps of arching blades topped by dense, silky, plume-like flower heads.
- What to do
- Wear heavy leather gloves and protective clothing when trimming or removing plants.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Look for massive feathery plumes blooming from late summer into autumn.
- Handling: Wear thick gloves and long sleeves to protect skin from razor-sharp leaf edges.
- Management: Cut off flower plumes before seed heads mature to prevent wind dispersal.
Image unavailableEcological Competitor 
Co-Occurring Grass (c) Harry Rose, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-byClose Relative
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