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Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass)

Mexican Feather Grass, Nassella Tenuissima, Texas Needle Grass, Nassella Tenuissima, Stipa tenuifolia

AGM Award
Stipa Tenuissima, Mexican Feather Grass, Nassella Tenuissima, Texas Needle Grass, Nassella Tenuissima, Nassella Tenuissima 'Pony Tails', Stipa Tenuifolia , Stipa tenuissima 'Pony Tails'
Stipa Tenuissima, Mexican Feather Grass, Nassella Tenuissima, Texas Needle Grass, Nassella Tenuissima, Nassella Tenuissima 'Pony Tails', Stipa Tenuifolia , Stipa tenuissima 'Pony Tails'
Agapanthus Africanus Albus, White African Lily, Lily of the Nile Albus, African Lily Albus, Agapanthus umbellatus 'Albus', Agapanthus praecox 'Albus', Agapanthus 'Africanus White', White Agapanthus

Renowned for its exquisite beauty and delicate elegance, Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass) features slender, silvery-green leaves that dance gracefully in the gentlest breeze, lending a soft and enchanting touch to any garden. Throughout the summer, it produces abundant feathery panicles that hover just above the foliage, offering a charming display and the potential for stunning dried arrangements. As a native American perennial grass, it provides enduring beauty with its airy, silky green leaves that transition to a warm golden brown in autumn.

  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
  • Growing easily in a dense fountain-like clump about 12-24 in. tall (30-60 cm) and across, it enjoys full sun and medium to light, moderately fertile, well-drained soils.
  • Drought, rabbit, and deer tolerant, Stipa tenuissima requires very little care.
  • A graceful accent plant for beds or borders, city or cottage gardens that also does well in containers. Wonderful plant for naturalized meadows thanks to its ability to self-sow.
  • Translucent, this deciduous grass mixes beautifully with almost any flowering bulb or perennial to create spectacular and elegantly mobile combinations.
  • Generally pest and disease free!
  • Sow seed in a cold frame in spring. Divide from mid-spring to early summer.
  • Native in North America only to mountains in west Texas and adjacent New Mexico south to central Mexico.

Requirements

Hardiness 7 - 11
Heat Zones 7 - 12
Climate Zones 2B, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Ornamental Grasses
Plant Family Poaceae
Genus Stipa
Common names Mexican Feather Grass
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spread 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spacing 12" - 24"
(30cm - 60cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit
Native Plants United States, Southwest, New Mexico, Texas
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Rabbit, Dry Soil
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Prairie and Meadow, Modern Garden, Informal and Cottage
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Nassella pulchra (Purple Needle Grass)
Stipa ichu (Peruvian Feather Grass)
Stipa barbata (Silver Feather Grass)
Stipa calamagrostis (Spear Grass)
Stipa gigantea (Golden Oats)
Anemanthele lessoniana (New Zealand Wind Grass)

Recommended Companion Plants

Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ (Sage)
Eschscholzia californica (California Poppy)
Allium sphaerocephalon (Drumstick Allium)
Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ (Montbretia)
Echinacea (Coneflower)
Achillea (Yarrow)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

A Glowing Winter Garden with Dogwood, Sedum and Grasses
A Pretty Pathway with Grasses and Charming Perennials
A Naturalistic Border Idea with Perennials and Grasses
A Late Season Border Idea with Asters and Grasses
A Low Maintenance Summer Idea for your Borders with Alliums and Grasses
A Beautiful Fall Border Idea with Asters, Verbena and Grasses
A Soft Border Idea with Grasses, Echinacea and Monarda
A Mediterranean Garden Idea with Eryngium, Helenium and Lavandula
A Long-Lasting Perennial Planting Idea with Kniphofia, Achillea and Leucanthemum
An Attractive Shady Garden Idea with Ferns, Hostas and Agapanthus
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 7 - 11
Heat Zones 7 - 12
Climate Zones 2B, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Ornamental Grasses
Plant Family Poaceae
Genus Stipa
Common names Mexican Feather Grass
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spread 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spacing 12" - 24"
(30cm - 60cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit
Native Plants United States, Southwest, New Mexico, Texas
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Rabbit, Dry Soil
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Prairie and Meadow, Modern Garden, Informal and Cottage
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Stipa (Feather Grass)
Not sure which Stipa (Feather Grass) to pick?
Compare Now

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