Luminous low base
The semi-globular tussock emerges golden-yellow and remains lower than its parent ‘Gelbstiel’.
Pennisetum 'Lumen Gold'® 19cm
Normal price
€15,00
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The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘JS Jommenik’ Lumen Gold®
Golden highlights in airy foliage ☀️
- Gold to lime foliage
- 25–35cm foliage
- Warm-season growth
- ISU Award 2018
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘JS Jommenik’ Lumen Gold® is a compact golden fountain-grass selection that brightens the foreground without weighing it down. Its rounded basal tussock opens almost lemon-yellow in spring, softens to fresh lime through summer and lifts fine bottlebrush panicles above the foliage into autumn. The narrow blades bend together instead of collapsing untidily, creating a calm ripple with a crisp outline that makes neighbouring purple, pink or white flowers appear even richer.
The low golden foliage makes a bright edging in front of burgundy leaves or pink and white flowers. In a pot beside a path, the arching blades can be enjoyed close up, with fine bottlebrush heads adding a second layer of movement.
In current taxonomy, Pennisetum alopecuroides is treated as Cenchrus alopecuroides. The selection ‘JS Jommenik’ Lumen Gold® received an ISU Award in 2018.
What makes it special
A low luminous tussock that changes colour through the season and adds slender panicles without screening neighbouring plants.
Three seasons of colour
Foliage moves from gold through lime to yellow-orange or straw.
Fine floating panicles
Narrow bristly panicles rise above the leaves from summer into autumn.
Why you will love it: it provides a long colour sequence, movement and a crisp outline at a scale that fits the very front of a border.
In the garden & on the balconyPlacement & plant combinationsLuminous foreground · full sun · mature spread 30–45cm
Golden low foreground
Place at the sunny front of a border, in repeated groups or in a broad pot with free winter drainage. Allow about 40–50cm between mature tussocks so the rounded outline remains distinct.
Gold with violet
Yellow and lime blades gain depth beside violet flowers, flat heads and the quiet pinks of autumn.
- Salvia nemorosa — upright violet spires above the low golden base.
- Achillea millefolium — flat flower heads sharing its preference for sun and drainage.
- Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’ — pink to dusky heads that accompany the autumn colour.
Care at a glance
Light
Full sun for the strongest gold and most panicles; light shade makes the foliage greener.
Watering
Water regularly until rooted, then deeply and less often, never leaving water around the crown.
Climate & hardiness
Warm-season and not reliably evergreen; winter response varies with frost, moisture and exposure.
Safety
Not intended for consumption; wear gloves when handling dry leaves and mature panicles.
Detailed careComplete care guideEight practical points: Position, Watering, Soil, Feeding, Seasonal behaviour, Division, Safety, Seed control.
Position
Give it the sunniest practical position for golden foliage and compact growth.
Watering
Water through the first growing season; established tussocks tolerate only short dry spells.
Soil
Use light to moderately fertile soil with excellent drainage. Keep the crown at its original planting level.
Feeding
Feed lightly in spring; excess nitrogen produces softer, greener growth.
Seasonal behaviour
Leave dry structure only where seeding is not a concern, then cut dead growth to 8–15cm before new shoots.
Division
Divide congested tussocks in late spring or early summer when the centre becomes overly dense or new growth weakens.
Safety
Wear gloves when handling the narrow blades and dry panicles; do not treat the plant as edible or specifically pet-safe.
Seed control
Sterility is unproven; remove mature panicles and check nearby soil where seedlings would be unwanted.
Development over timeHow the golden tussock lights upThree stages from golden spring emergence to panicles and a straw-coloured winter structure.
Golden emergence
New blades rise bright yellow as warm-season growth begins.
Lime with panicles
Foliage settles to lime and narrow bristly panicles rise above the tussock.
Straw dormancy
Cold turns the blades yellow-orange or dry until spring renewal.
Mature habit & dimensions
Indicative growthHeight 25–35 cm foliageSpread 30–45 cm
The low base opens into arching leaves, with brown brushes appearing above it in summer. Dimensions refer to foliage. Flower stems rise above it according to season and conditions.
Form through time
Seasonal or developmental viewsGolden spring
Lime-green summer
What to expect after planting: Once rooted, each warm season rebuilds the low tussock from its base. Golden emergence becomes a lime background for the panicles, then closes in warm straw tones.
History & originCultivar originJan Spruyt · Buggenhout, Belgium · shoot sport found 2007
In summer 2007, Belgian nurseryman Jan Spruyt noticed a differently coloured shoot on an unpatented Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Gelbstiel’ at his nursery in Buggenhout. He retained this spontaneous sport for its lower, bushier habit and yellow-green foliage.
The selection was increased asexually by division and later through tissue culture. Successive generations remained stable, preserving the luminous colour and low, compact form of the original sport.
The Community Plant Variety Rights application was filed on 9 September 2014 and title 44184 was granted in 2016. The US application followed on 11 December 2015, and US Plant Patent 27,435 was granted on 29 November 2016 under the denomination ‘JS Jommenik’.
The selection entered Plantipp’s range under the trade name Lumen Gold® and received an ISU Award in 2018.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScience nobody asked forBotanical details for anyone curious about what lies behind the plant’s appearance
Bristles around the spikelets
The brush-like inflorescence consists of numerous small spikelets accompanied by long bristles. These form the soft outline around the flowering axis; they are not the petals of one large flower.
A leaf base that wraps the stem
At the base of each linear leaf, a sheath surrounds the stem. A small ligule of hairs sits where sheath and blade meet, a detail useful in the morphological identification of grasses.
Frequently asked questions
Six specific answers about identity, size, the seasonal cycle, light and management of the tussock.
01Is Lumen Gold the cultivar name?
No. Lumen Gold is the selling name; ‘JS Jommenik’ is the registered cultivar denomination.
02How large does it become?
The foliage forms a low tussock around 25–35cm high and 30–45cm across. Flowering stems rise above it according to season and conditions.
03Is it evergreen?
Not reliably. It may retain foliage in a mild winter but commonly bronzes or dies back after frost.
04How hardy is it?
Winter performance depends strongly on drainage, winter moisture and exposure; free drainage and crown protection are safer guides than an absolute temperature promise.
05Sun or shade?
Full sun gives the strongest gold and most panicles; light shade produces greener foliage.
06Is it sterile?
Sterility has not been demonstrated. Remove mature panicles and monitor for unwanted seedlings near sensitive places.
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Every order is prepared with care so your plant arrives upright, secure and safe.
Individual protection
Plants in pots with a capacity of 3 litres or more are placed in individual boxes that hold the pot securely and reduce the risk of tipping over.
Sturdy packaging
We use reinforced cardboard designed to protect against impacts and vibration during transport.