'Pampas grows wild where I am based in Santa Barbara. Pampas grass has an agricultural quality that feels especially American, which may be a reason people seem so enticed by it.' Where to Buy It 'It provides a soft textural quality that delicate flowers do not. 'It brings a natural element to a space, similar to a flower arrangement, but is neutral enough to go with just about any color palette and style,' she says. Larson believes that the grass' popularity is due to its ease and versatility. It truly thrives on neglect! No water needed, no sun needed, really no nurturing whatsoever, unlike roses that rot and needy fig trees that cost a fortune. Henderson echoes this sentiment, saying that pampas grass 'evokes that easy, breezy, carefree feeling that all of us are deep-down trying to feel… So might as well put it on the outside where we can see it.'Įven better news? Pampas grass is eternal.

'Also, since I am based in Santa Barbara where pampas is abundant, bringing it into the home represents the indoor-outdoor flow of materials that I always strive to achieve with my properties.' 'Pampas brings a calming texture into the spaces I design-I see it as the floral equivalent of a gorgeous, neutral-colored cashmere blanket,' Mathern tells us. Henderson describes it as soft yet sculptural, which is why it brings such an intriguing and unique visual texture to a space. And though it looks fluffy and soft, it's actually quite prickly to the touch (plus, it sheds, so you're better off not poking and stroking it). It kind of makes sense, seeing as the breezy, free-flowing nature of pampas grass makes it the sexy silk slip dress of the plant world. Because it seeds prolifically, it's considered an invasive weed in some regions, and is even banned in New Zealand.Ī fun, odd fact, according to the Guardian: Pampas grass is associated with swingers in the United Kingdom! Apparently, some folks in the sexy subculture grow it in their front gardens to signal their swinger status to other swingers passing by. It grows in a variety of neutral colors, from a silvery gray to light beige and golden wheat. What Pampas Grass IsĬortaderia selloana, pampas grass' fancier-sounding official moniker, is a tall-stemmed flowering grass native to Southern California. Keep reading to learn all about pampas grass, then learn how to style this floral that never dies from Corinne Mathern, a Santa Barbara interior designer Amy Larson of Brooklyn's Shapeless Studio and Emily Henderson, HGTV host and L.A. Turns out I'm not the only one stockpiling these low-maintenance, feathery plumes: interior decorators, hip shop-owners, and influencers are flocking to them as well. Nothing captures the beguiling, golden, windblown fantasy that is the Califorina dream quite like pampas grass-aside from Joan Didion or Eve Babitz, maybe.Īs a California transplant with a black thumb who's bracing myself for the New York winter, this modest little plant has become the most important part of my home.

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