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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
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

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