How To Get Rid of Pampas Grass: 7 Eradication Tips

Pampas grass dots the landscape with huge, feathery plumes and tufts of long, slender, arching blades. The vigorous, indestructible perennials thrive in heat, humidity, and poor, sandy soils. They’re often used to screen utility boxes, mark subdivision entrances, control erosion, and lend textural contrast (as well as a beachy feel – pampas are ubiquitous in coastal areas since they grow so well).

Where I live in the coastal south, gardeners are divided on the aesthetics of the grass. But there’s a deeper reason not to grow pampas grass in warm climates: with invasive qualities, it escapes cultivation and spreads into natural areas. It displaces other plant communities, including natives. It is aggressive in much of its range and invasive in semi-arid and subtropical climes from Texas to California, Hawaii, southern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Often remnants of “set and forget” plantings, the beasts-of-a-grass hunker in for years of clumping and spreading through seed. Once established, pampas are challenging to eradicate. Their fine leaves have bladed edges, making them less-than-friendly to work with. Their extensive root systems serve the plant well but not the gardener who inherits them. Here, we’ll dive into how to get rid of pampas grass for a fresh start.

About Pampas Grass

There are multiple species in the genus, but two are most commonly encountered in cultivated spaces: Cortaderia selloana (pampas) and Cortaderia jubata (jubata grass). Both are native to South America and are salt-tolerant, drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant and grow across various soil conditions with similar noxious weed status. Pampas is from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uraguay, hardy in zones 7-10, some forms are more cold tolerant than others. They look their best in well-drained soils with full sun and regular water during the growing season.

The tufting perennial grows 6-10 feet high and wide, creating quite a hefty mass. The roots can spread 13 feet wide and 11 feet deep. Longlived, it survives for over a decade. The bluish-green blades and ornamental plumes have made it a popular landscape plant since the Victorian era. Today, it’s especially suited for challenging situations. The plumes are remarkable—silvery white with varieties in pink and purple—rising on stiff stems with lasting visual interest. On mature plants, the plumes are massive.

The pretty plumes on female plants produce seeds, up to 100,000 per seedhead, which can spread 20 miles on the wind. To get rid of pampas grass, the entire crown and roots need to be removed. The seeds sprout easily from the remaining root pieces.

Cut Back

To remove pampas grass either manually, mechanically, or chemically, start by cutting back the blades. Don gloves and long sleeves to cut the leafy blades within a few inches of the base. First, gently cut off any plume stems to avoid inadvertently dispersing seeds. Then, working around the diameter of the grass, use sharp pruning shears or a hedge trimmer to cut the blades.

Use caution when clipping, bundling, or bagging the leaves – the sharp edges can cut and cause skin irritation. A single cut at the base of the stem makes bundling and removing leaves easier.

If you’re dealing with a really big specimen, a weedeater or disc is handy for cutting through dense blades. Land managers even employ chainsaws to work through large clumps.

Tackle in Pieces

Once the crown is visible with the blades removed, we can begin the root work. The goal is to lift the entire crown and remove the top sections of the roots to prevent easy regrowth.

Hand-pull small plants and seedlings to remove stems and roots. For larger, established specimens, an axe hoe garden tool like a Pulaski or Mattock works to pick away at portions of the crown and root attachments. A spade or shovel does the job, too. Pick the crown apart in pieces or chunks to lift the roots.

Remove the Debris

Portions of the roots and crown left in place or laid on the soil surface have the potential to re-root with seasonal moisture. For those left on site or in the debris pile, turn the crown portions upside down so the roots dry without soil contact.

Mechanical Removal

To get rid of pampas grass in large groups or with huge specimens, heavy equipment is effective. While more costly and dependent on site accessibility, a backhoe or excavator to dig the roots makes the job easier. Make sure to capture as much of the root ball as possible in addition to the entire crown.

Do a sweep after the equipment moves through to clear any pieces left behind. The disturbed site is prime for resprouting if chunks of crown and roots are left behind.

Cultural Controls

To minimize the spread of pampas grass, reduce bare soil exposure in the area. Seeds easily develop in moist areas with exposed earth, and clumping shoots find a compatible home to develop. Add a few inches of mulch to cover exposed beds.

Plant desirable, non-invasive species to compete with the pampas, or at least cover ground to reduce its spread through seedling establishment.

Clip the plumes to prevent seed dispersal. Enjoy them indoors in dried arrangements. Toss them in a garbage bag for disposal rather than adding them to the compost or debris pile. Cutting the plumes can promote further plume production in the growing season as the plants direct energy into flowering and reproducing.

Other Controls

To get rid of pampas grass, manual and mechanical means are thorough ways to remove the invasives. For chemical controls, targeted herbicides like glyphosate show results after the blades are cut to expose the crown. Use these in accordance with local and label directives. Always spray as accurately and diligently as possible, ensuring you don’t spray nearby plants or areas that aren’t being treated. Wear PPE to protect yourself.

Unfortunately, there are no biological controls to eradicate pampas grass. Burning isn’t practical in controlling growth.

Grow Alternative Grasses

To avoid planting pampas grass or for viable, non-aggressive replacements, look to top performers hardy to your growing zone. There are many native species and cultivars that grow in challenging sites while providing multi-season appeal with structural blades and showy plumes.

Switchgrass

	botanical name Panicum virgatum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-7’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Switchgrass and other ornamental grasses add graceful movement and texture. Don’t cut them back over the winter; keep them intact until early spring to enjoy the dried plumes and blades. The seedheads provide food for birds and small mammals and leafy shelter opportunities.

Switchgrass is a native North American prairie grass that grows across soil types, moisture levels, and light conditions. It’s durable, preferring lean soils to overly rich ones. It grows in wet and dry situations and tolerates occasional flooding. 

‘Northwind’ is a structural, tall switch that forms a rigid upright column loaded with vertical interest. Its vigorous, blue-green blades are among the most columnar. Erect green and maroon plumes wave above the high leaves in summer. In fall, the foliage turns gold before drying.

‘Cheyenne Sky’ begins blue-green and transitions to wine red in early summer, with plumes to match. The semi-evergreen growers make exceptional container features in addition to screening, border specimens, and grouped plantings.

Switchgrass cultivars vary in height, coloration, and spreading habit, but they share deep roots that make them heat and drought-tolerant. They’re useful in erosion control and revegetation sites, in addition to border specimens, rain gardens, and naturalized arrangements.

Big Bluestem

	botanical name Andropogon gerardii
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4′-8’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Big bluestem is a native that makes a statement in height and color with gracefully arching blades. These emerge early in the season, before many other grasses.

‘Blackhawks’ is unique in dark green and purple that transitions to near black as temperatures cool. The deep hues and slightly arching blades offer high contrast. Erect stems hold finely textured burgundy inflorescences and seeds.

Big bluestem grows across various moisture and soil situations. Once the hallmark of American tallgrass prairies, they are long-lived and prime for screening, back-of-the-border locations, specimens, and naturalized plantings.

Little Bluestem

	botanical name Schizachyrium scoparium
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-4’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Little bluestem is another wide-ranging North American native. Tufts of narrow, folded blades, often upright, have blue-tinged new growth that matures to reddish-gold.

Seeds are fluffy and white and provide forage for birds. The fine leaves are prime nesting habitat. The species is widely adapted to different growing regions and occurs in lower Canada and most U.S. states except Washington and Nevada. Clay and sandy soils are its natural textures, but little bluestem tolerates various types.

‘Blue Heaven’ is a showy cultivar with good form and disease resistance. Slender blades begin blue and become pink and burgundy as they age. Summer panicles are purple, with tan seedheads. The coppery fall color continues the appeal. 

‘Ha Ha Tonka’ is another favorite with blue-green leaves and highlights of silver and red. Cross-bred from seeds out of Ha Ha Tonka State Park in Missouri, the hybrid is part of the Piet Oudolf Collection.

Muhly Grass

	botanical name Muhlenbergia capillaris
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Muhly is a native ornamental grass with airy plumes that surprise in fall. They create a pinky-red haze around fine-bladed foliage. Wiry leaves in deep green sit quietly until the panicle explosion.

‘White Cloud’ brings an open habit with dense white plumes. These bloom after pink muhly (the straight species).

Muhly is heat, humidity, drought, and salt-tolerant. It grows in poor soils, including clay, rocky, and sandy compositions.

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