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Mexican Feather Grass Nassella (formerly Stipa) tenuissima

Flower Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
Mature Size
2' 2' 61cm 61cm
Height: 12" - 2'
Spread: 20" - 2'
Height: 30cm - 61cm
Spread: 51cm - 61cm
Proven Selections
Award Winner
  • 12 - 24 Inches
    20 - 24 Inches
    20 - 24 Inches
    30cm - 61cm
    51cm - 61cm
    51cm - 61cm

    Features

    Tan flowers on thin, bright green foliage in late summer; moves in the slightest breeze.  Not recommended for California gardens where it has been identified as invasive.

    Award Winner
    Foliage Interest
    Heat Tolerant
    Deadheading Not Necessary
    Grass: 
    Grass
    Native to North America

    Characteristics

    Plant Type: 
    Annual
    Height Category: 
    Medium
    Garden Height: 
    12 - 24 Inches 30cm - 61cm
    Spacing: 
    20 - 24 Inches 51cm - 61cm
    Spread: 
    20 - 24 Inches 51cm - 61cm
    Flower Colors: 
    White
    Flower Shade: 
    White
    Foliage Colors: 
    Green
    Foliage Shade: 
    Green
    Habit: 
    Upright
    Container Role: 
    Thriller
    May Be Aggressive: 
    May Be Aggressive

    Plant Needs

    Light Requirement: 
    Part Sun to Sun

    The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).

    Maintenance Category: 
    Easy
    Bloom Time: 
    Grown for Foliage
    Hardiness Zones: 
    7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
    Water Category: 
    Average
    Uses: 
    Container
    Uses: 
    Grass
    Uses: 
    Landscape
    Uses Notes: 

    This grass will beautify your garden all season.

    Maintenance Notes: 

    Stipa is a neutral grass. Where temperatures get colder than 20 degrees F, the plants should be treated as annuals. Once the grass turns brown it can either be removed immediately or removed in the spring. It should not be expected to live through the winter and begin growing again in the spring.

    In areas where winter temperatures remain above 20 degrees it should be considered a perennial and the following information should be useful. Evergreen or neutral grasses are usually plants that look like grasses but aren't actually classified as grasses, they are generally called grass-like plants.

    Divide evergreen or neutral grasses and grass-like plants in spring only.
    Evergreen grasses don't ever go dormant. Dividing plants wounds them to some degree. For evergreen grasses this wounding will really affect their ability to live through the winter.

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