[green fingers]

Really hope someone can clarify this for me.

1. Is pampas grass the same as elephant grass?

2. Where can I buy seed for pampas grass/elephant grass? The tallest cultivars.

3.  Have had a look on Amazon and Ebay - contacted the supplier on Amazon and they have not got back to me!

[Trillium]

Elephant grass, pennestum purpureum is a different variety than pampas grass, cortaderia selloana, although they can look similar at times.
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/elephant_grass.htm

The only difference between them is that the pampas grass will put out a pretty flower plume after a few years. Both are clumping types, however, the elephant grass can spread invasively by roots, the pampas by seeds.

Both have razor sharp leaves and are very tall (around 8 ft) so I hope you're thinking of planting them well away from family and pet areas.
You're probably having trouble finding seeds as essentially they're a warm weather plant but the roots will live in areas that don't have ground freeze. That said, our ground freezes for months here and there are many stands of mature pampas grass growing wild which are encroaching on ditches, forest areas, swamps  and fields.

Before you plant, be very sure you want to grow either of these.

[green fingers]

Many thanks
They are selling pampas grass seeds of Amazon and Ebay. So will need to check out what the cultivar is.
They are to be planted as cover in a shoot, so no problems near houses

[mobilekat]

Pampas grass is very vicious when upset- not sure if its best suited to a situation where people/dogs will need to get through it as it will cut you to shreds- I know this from beating ours up this year, it was a close fight and only the threat of fire helped me to win.
But I looked like I had been in a fight with a tiger!
Also with its clumping habits it actually doesnt produce as much cover as you would think- but the sparrow did like the seed heads!

Not sure if elephant grass is a bit easier to manage!

[grumpydad]

i have never bothered to try to cut it back, i just set fire to it every few years, looks bad after for a few weeks, but it gets rid of all the loose old leaves etc, and it grows back well. but ours is not close to a building, when it goes up, it really goes up.