Stipa tenuissima

RHS Plant Profile
Mexican feather grass

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Mexican feather grass visionspictures.com
Mexican feather grass visionspictures.com

Other common names

Texas needle grass

Synonyms

Stipa tenuissima 'Pony Tails'
Nassella tenuissima 'Pony Tails'
Nassella tenuissima
Stipa tenuifolia misapplied

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Grass Like
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A deciduous grass to 60cm, forming a compact upright tuft of thread-like leaves, with narrow, arching, feathery pale brown flowering panicles in summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing or North–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)
H4

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Poaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Tufted
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
Correct
Plant Range
USA to S America

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

  • Architectural
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds

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