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Stipa calamagrostis (Spear Grass)

Achnatherum calamagrostis, Rough Feather Grass, Spear Grass, Needle Grass, Silver Spike Grass, Pheasant Tail Grass

Stipa Calamagrostis, Achnatherum calamagrostis, Rough Feather Grass, Spear Grass, Needle Grass, Silver Spike Grass, Pheasant Tail Grass
Stipa Calamagrostis, Achnatherum calamagrostis, Rough Feather Grass, Spear Grass, Needle Grass, Silver Spike Grass, Pheasant Tail Grass

Grown for its early blooming feathery flowers, Stipa calamagrostis is a lovely and graceful free-flowering ornamental grass. Deciduous, with an open growth habit, it exhibits arching, blue-green thread-like leaves topped in summer with a haze of silvery white flower plumes, that sway gracefully in the slightest breeze. As they mature, both flowers and foliage turn to a beautiful buff color that persist into winter.

  • The beautiful arching lines and cascading halo of silvery plumes help create magnificent and elegantly mobile combinations in the landscape. Perfect for borders where this grass will easily combine with other plants, along the edge of a path or as a graceful accent plant.
  • Growing easily in a dense fountain-like clump about 2.5 – 3.5 ft. tall (75 – 105 cm) and 3 – 4 ft. across (90 – 120 cm), it enjoys full sun or light shade and moderately fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils.
  • Drought and deer tolerant, it requires very little care and provides weeks of interest from summer to frost
  • Native to Central and Southern Europe.

Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 1 - 10
Plant Type Ornamental Grasses
Plant Family Poaceae
Genus Calamagrostis, Stipa
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 2' - 4'
(60cm - 120cm)
Spread 3' - 4'
(90cm - 120cm)
Spacing 36" - 48"
(90cm - 120cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Tolerance Drought, Deer
Attracts Birds
Garden Uses Beds And Borders
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow, Modern Garden, Informal and Cottage, Coastal Garden, City and Courtyard
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Calamagrostis (Reed Grass) Stipa (Feather Grass)
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Calamagrostis nutkaensis (Pacific Reedgrass)
Calamagrostis canadensis (Bluejoint Grass)
Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam’ (Feather Reed Grass)
Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Avalanche’ (Feather Reed Grass)
Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (Feather Reed Grass)
Calamagrostis brachytricha (Reed Grass)
View All Our Calamagrostis

Recommended Companion Plants

Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower)
Sanguisorba obtusa (Japanese Burnet)
Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ (Coneflower)
Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’ (‘Autumn Joy’)
Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ (Giant Hyssop)
Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ (Sneezeweed)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

Late Summer Garden Idea with Japanese Anemone, Sedum and Grass
Great Ornamental Grasses for your Winter Garden
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 1 - 10
Plant Type Ornamental Grasses
Plant Family Poaceae
Genus Calamagrostis, Stipa
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 2' - 4'
(60cm - 120cm)
Spread 3' - 4'
(90cm - 120cm)
Spacing 36" - 48"
(90cm - 120cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Tolerance Drought, Deer
Attracts Birds
Garden Uses Beds And Borders
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow, Modern Garden, Informal and Cottage, Coastal Garden, City and Courtyard
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Calamagrostis (Reed Grass) Stipa (Feather Grass)
Not sure which Calamagrostis (Reed Grass) to pick?
Compare Now

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