Feather Grass (Stipa pennata): A European Steppe Grass with Silky, Flowing Awns

Feather Grass, Stipa pennata, is a perennial bunchgrass native to the steppes of Europe and Central Asia. Its long, silky awns on the seeds catch the light and wind, creating a mesmerizing, silvery haze over the landscape.

Ethereal Beauty

This grass forms a tight tuft of narrow, rolled leaves 12–18 inches tall. In early summer, it produces feathery panicles with long (2–4 inches), silvery-white, plumose awns that extend from each seed. The awns are hygroscopic, twisting and untwisting with humidity changes, aiding seed burial. The effect is a cloud of silver silk.

Steppe Adaptation

Stipa pennata thrives in full sun, well-drained, even poor, alkaline soils. It is extremely drought-tolerant. It resents winter wet. A iconic grass for steppe, prairie, and gravel gardens, and for dried arrangements.