Stipa calamagrostis

RHS Plant Profile

rough feather grass

Synonyms

Lasiagrostis calamagrostis
Achnatherum calamagrostis
Agrostis calamagrostis
Stipa lasiagrostis
Calamagrostis argentea
Calamagrostis splendens misapplied
Stipa splendens misapplied

Grass Like

Buy this from RHS Plants Shop
Buy online from £9.99 Buy this from Plant Nurseries
17 Suppliers

A tufted deciduous perennial with narrow, arching leaves and feathery panicles of pale green spikelets in summer that turn light buff and persist into winter

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

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

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: West–facing or South–facing or East–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: Bushy
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: Europe, Asia, Africa

How to Grow

Cultivation

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

Propagation

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

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds

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