Stipa barbata

RHS Plant Profile
bearded feather grass

Other common names

silver feather grass

Grass Like

A perennial grass producing a loose clump of narrow, mid-green leaves. From early summer it produces small clusters of flowers, with seed awns up to 45cm long, silky and silvery at first, then becoming cream, fluffy and curled, like an ostrich feather

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, 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 Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H4
Drought Resistance
Yes

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
S Europe

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in light, very well-drained soil in full sun. Can be slow to establish

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
  • Gravel garden
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Low Maintenance
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut down to near ground level in early spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free