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Mexican Feather Grass Plants (Stipa tenuissima)Mexican Feather Grass Plants (Stipa tenuissima)Mexican Feather Grass Plants (Stipa tenuissima)Mexican Feather Grass Plants (Stipa tenuissima)

Mexican Feather Grass Plants

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Stipa tenuissima

  • Colour: Silver-green maturing to buff
  • Flowering: Jun-Sep
  • Foliage: Yellow-green
  • Height x Spread: 60cm x 30cm
  • Spacing: 30cm
  • Position: Sun
  • Soil: Any, well-drained
  • RHS Award of Garden Merit 
Choose a size

Pot sizes are measured by their volume in litres, except for the smallest size, 9cm / p9 pots, which are roughly half a litre. P9s benefit from extra care in their first year.

1 Litre
Potted
£5.82each
Qty
1-2
3 - 9
10 +
£
£ 5.82
£ 5.52
£ 5.28

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Description

Stipa tenuissima - Mexican Feather or Texas Needle Grass

With its graceful movement and long season of interest, Stipa tenuissima, or the Mexican feather grass, is one of the most versatile grasses for the ornamental garden.

A deciduous grass growing to just 60cm, Stipa tenuissima starts the season with thread-like, pale yellow-green leaves. In June, it develops arching feathery silver-green flowers, which mature during the summer to a buff colour. Keep the leaves and flower heads on the plant during winter for interest and as somewhere for beneficial insects to find shelter.

Browse all of our other grasses, our perennial plants,

Great In Your Garden...

A classic ingredient for informal planting schemes, Stipa tenuissima looks wonderful alongside jolly little flowers like Coreopsis 'Early Sunrise', daisy family perennials like Echinacea purpurea and Rudbeckia Goldsturm. Perfect for imagining you're sitting amid the wild flowers of the Great Plains!

Gravel or dry gardens, which are becoming more popular in the UK are an almost natural habitat for Mexican feather grass. Blend it with other grasses and drought tolerant large-leaved plants like Verbena bonariensis for a low-maintenance but stunning combination.

Stipa tenuissima is ideal for warm, dry city, courtyard or architectural gardens where plants are mostly in large containers or raised beds. Team it with half-hardy exotics with contrasting foliage, such as bananas, cannas, agaves and yuccas. Add hints of jewel colours with perennials such as the orange-red Crocosmia Emily McKenzie.

Features

  • Colour: Silver-green plumes maturing to buff.
  • Flowering: June to September.
  • Foliage: Yellow-green thread-like leaves.
  • Height: 60cm.
  • Spread: 30cm.
  • Spacing: 30cm.
  • Position: Sun.
  • Soil: Any soil type, as long as it is well-drained.
  • Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit.

Did You Know...

You'll also find Stipa tenuissima listed as Texas needle grass, Nassella tenuissima, N. tenuissima Pony Tails, Stipa tenuifolia and S. tenuissima Pony Tails - they're all the same plant.

Planting Instructions

Plant in full sun in well-drained, light, moderately fertile soil. Add organic matter when planting. Allow 30cm between plants. Water until it is growing well. Suitable for containers. Very drought-tolerant once established. Add granular general fertiliser, cut back old foliage and divide plants if necessary in early spring.

What to expect

It's Spring Planting Season 2025

Pot grown plants on the nursery

Pot Grown & Plug Plants Delivered

From seedlings in jumbo plugs; Dahlia tubers; small P9 & 1 Litre plants; up to trees in big 15L pots
Expertly packed plants ready for delivery

Direct from the Nursery Value

We work with large batches of orders to save you money. Lead times for plants in stock are around 2 weeks
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No more broken plants in the post!

When your order is ready, it's expertly packed by Rodney and delivered by next day courier; if anything goes wrong, call Dan on 01963 359 444
Planting out potted plants in Spring

Spring is perfect planting time

Roots love the warm soil; the plant has time to settle in before mid-Summer heat
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