Stipa tenuissima: Mexican Feather Grass for Refined Texture and Fountain-Like Form

Mexican Feather Grass (Stipa tenuissima) exhibits unmatched refinement of texture. Bright green foliage resembles delicate filaments in elegant vase-like clumps that spill outward like a soft fountain. All summer it bears profuse feathery panicles maturing from foamy-green to blonde. Native to the Americas. Grows 1–3 feet tall and wide.

Growing Conditions

Moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Remove old foliage of evergreen species in early spring. Propagate by sowing seed in cold frame in spring, or divide mid-spring to early summer. Watch for damping off, rust, smut, brown patch, brown stripe, eye spot.

Key Features at a Glance

• Height: 1–3 ft.
• Spread: 1–3 ft.
• Growth Habit: Clumping, Moderate
• Light: Full Sun
• Moisture: Adaptable
• Maintenance: Low
• Characteristics: Native, Self-Seeds, Showy Flowers, Showy Foliage, Showy Seed Heads
• Bloom Time: Summer
• Flower Color: Brown, Green
• Uses: Beds, Borders, Containers, Dried Flower, Naturalizing, Specimen, Annual, Desert Garden, Meadow Garden, Rock Garden
• Tolerance: Deer, Drought, Frost
• Type: Grasses