Join the RHS

Find a plant – quick search

Where are Plant Finder & Plant Selector?

Where are Plant Finder & Plant Selector?

We have combined these two powerful search tools into a single Find a Plant service searching over 250,000 plant records.

Virtually all of the features of the old searches are still available and in addition we have added several new features to create a more comprehensive and user friendly search experience.

When using this search

  • If you enter just a plant name, you will see results from the old RHS Plant Finder and Selector databases
  • If you select any attributes with or without a plant name, you will see a much narrower selection of results taken only from the old RHS Plant Selector database. These plants will have a lot more details displayed including an image.
  • Our Botanical team are working hard to increase the number of plants with detailed information.

Search by plant name, key attributes or both to find plant details and a list of suppliers.

 
  • AGM plants

    AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. They are:

    • Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions
    • Available to buy
    • Of good constitution
    • Essentially stable in form & colour
    • Reasonably resistant to pests & diseases
Need more criteria? Try an advanced search
Back to search results

Stipa tenuissima

Mexican feather grass

AGM plants

AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. They are:

  • Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions
  • Available to buy
  • Of good constitution
  • Essentially stable in form & colour
  • Reasonably resistant to pests & diseases
© RHS
RHS Plant Shop from £11.99 Sold by 83 nurseries

  • Other common names Mexican feather grass
    Texas needle grass

  • Synonyms Nassella tenuissima
    Nassella tenuissima 'Pony Tails'

    Stipa tenuifolia misapplied
    Stipa tenuissima 'Pony Tails'

    see more

  • Family Poaceae

  • Genus Stipa can be evergreen or deciduous, mostly perennial grasses with arching, folded or rolled, linear leaves and narrow panicles of often long-awned spikelets in summer and autumn

  • Details S. tenuissima is a deciduous grass to 60cm, forming a compact upright tuft of thread-like leaves, with narrow, arching, feathery flowering panicles in summer

  • Plant range USA to S America

Characteristics

  • Foliage Deciduous

  • Habit Tufted

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H4

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Aspect South-facing or North-facing or West-facing or East-facing

  • Exposure Exposed or Sheltered

Soil

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • Sand

    Sand

  • Clay

    Clay

  • MoistureWell-drained, Moist but well-drained

  • SoilLoam, Chalk, Sand, Clay

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height 0.5-1 metres

  • Ultimate spread 0.1-0.5 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 2-5 years

How to grow

Cultivation Grow in medium to light, moderately fertile soil in full sun

Propagation Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types Flower borders and beds Low Maintenance Architectural City & Courtyard Gardens Cottage & Informal Garden

How to care

Pruning Leaves can be cut back when they die off; rather than doing this in late autumn it's best to wait until early spring

Pests Generally pest free

Diseases Generally disease free

Did you find the information you were looking for?

RHS members can get exclusive individual advice from the RHS Gardening Advice team.

Join the RHS now

RHS Plants Shop

Stipa tenuissima

Mexican feather grass

Buy from £11.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

Buy from £11.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

Get involved

We're a UK charity established to share the best in gardening. We want to enrich everyone's life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.