Stipa gigantea

Stipa gigantea

You can find this magnificent grass growing in various locations throughout Rosemoor as we find it to be a very useful architectural plant. We grow it in the West Country Garden, The Foliage Garden and The Plantsman’s Garden. It is also to be found in Croquet Lawn beds in Lady Anne’s Garden.

Vital statistics

Common name

Golden oats, giant feather grass

Family

Poaceae

Height & spread

up to 2.5m (8ft) high x 1.2m (4ft) wide

Form

Perennial grass

Soil

Moderately fertile, medium, well-drained soil

Aspect

Full sun

Hardiness

Hardy throughout the British Isles

Stipa

Stipa is a genus of about 300 species of evergreen or deciduous grasses inhabiting open woodlands, stony slopes and steppes world-wide but mainly from temperate and warm-temperate regions in New Zealand, Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Only a few species are commonly grown in gardens, the majority of these are shorter than S. gigantea and are grown for their soft, feathery inflorescences, particularly S. tenuissima. Stipa tenacissima, esparto grass, sometimes grown in gardens, is also grown commercially for paper making, including cigarette papers.

The name Stipa comes from the Greek word stuppe meaning tow, from the feathery inflorescences.

Stipa gigantea

Stipa gigantea is one of the largest feather grasses and is said to be one of the most magnificent of all the ornamental garden grasses. Its narrow (3mm) leaves form a large tuft of basal foliage while the loose, open panicle flowers are held high above the foliage on stems 2.5m high during June to August and persist well into the autumn and winter months.

The specific epithet gigantea appropriately describes the tall stems, while the common name 'Golden oats' accurately describe the oat-like panicles of flowers which are golden when ripe.

A native to Spain, Portugal and Morocco, it happily grows in Britain and northern Europe, though it will not survive the winter in waterlogged conditions.

Cultivation

• Stipa species and cultivars are all easily grown in any moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.
• Most are hardy to at least -15°C though many will not survive the winter in conditions where the soil is waterlogged.
• Plants should establish quickly and, once growing well, need little attention apart from cutting back of the foliage during the winter to tidy it up before the new flush of growth appears in the spring.
• Once established Stipa gigantea is drought resistant and not troubled by pests or diseases.

Propagation

Stipa can be propagated from seed or division. Sow seeds in container in a cold frame in spring, or divide plants in mid-spring or early summer.

AGM

The RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee awarded Stipa gigantea an Award of Garden Merit and described it as:

'Robust tufted evergreen perennial to 2m, with arching linear green leaves and large panicles of oat-like, long-awned purplish flowers which ripen to gold.'