Stipa tenuissima – Mexican Feather Grass

A cool-season grass from the Americas, Stipa tenuissima is a small, clump-forming, deciduous grass with an upright, arching habit, moving gracefully in the slightest breeze. Very slender leaves emerge jade-green, turn straw-coloured in autumn. Panicles of flowers, with the longest, slenderest, silky awns appear in from early to late summer late August; these also start jade green, turning blonde as they age. Mexican Feather Grass is a charming plant, good in a gravel garden, and particularly useful for knitting a planting scheme together. Seeds about mildly. Cut back dead foliage in early spring to allow the fresh new leaves to come through.

Site: Tolerates exposure
Soil: Any reasonably well-drained soil
Position: Full sun
Season of Interest: Spring, summer, autumn
Hardiness: Hardy
Height: 2’ (60cm) Spread: 1’ (30cm)