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Grass Like

Stipa tenuissima 'Wind Whispers'

Mexican feather grass 'Wind Whispers'

Dense, tufted, deciduous perennial to 60cm tall, with upright narrow, filament-like bright green leaves and producing prominent arching, softly-feathery greenish-white flower panicles in summer, maturing to a buff colour as the season progresses

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

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)

Botanical details

Family: Poaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Tufted, Clump forming
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
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in medium to light, moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun. Divide every few years to maintain vigour. See ornamental grasses cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or by division in late winter or early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Prairie planting
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Cut flowers

Pruning

Cut back all dead leaves and stems in late winter or early spring before new growth begins

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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