#stipa

Plant of the Day

Monday 20 October 2025

Some great street planting. The autumn colour of this Acer palmatum cultivar (Japanese maple) looked amazing and the foliage texture contrasted with the fine thread-like leaves of Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass, Texas needle grass).

Plant of the Day

Thursday 30 January 2025

Creating movement in the slightest breeze and bringing soft lines to a dry border is Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass, Texas needle grass, Nassella). The repeat planting or editing of self-sown plants adds to the effect. The old fine leaves are best cut back in early spring.

Plant of the Day

Sunday 16 October 2022

Providing colour into the autumn Verbena rigida (slender vervain, large-veined verbena) is a low-growing tuberous perennial. It’s not fully hardy and is best grown in well-drained soil to avoid excessive wet conditions. These growing conditions also suit the fine leaved grass Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass) with which it was growing.

Plant of the Day

Monday 4 January 2021

The elegant, feathery plume seed heads of Stipa ichu (Peruvian feather grass) provide winter interest and move in the slightest breeze. This semievergreen, perennial grass forms an upright clump and requires a sunny location with a well drained soil.

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 15 July 2020

An elegant native of the North American prairies, Echinacea pallida (coneflower) is an upright, clump-forming rhizomatous perennial. Here it blends with the ornamental grasses including Stipa gigantea (golden oat grass) and Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass), the fine textures compliment the linear, pink, reflexed ray florets.

Plants of the Day

Wednesday 26 August 2020

Here three different grasses become the stars of late summer and will continue to provide a dynamic display through the autumn and winter. The characteristics of the different species are clear when seen together with the upright habit of Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' (feather reed-grass), the airy heads of the Stipa gigantea 'Gold Fontaene' (golden oats), and the slender, arching, silvery plumes of Stipa pseudoichu.

Plant of the Day

Friday 17 July 2020

This narrow border had a great combination of midsummer flowering plants with the deep orange Crocosmia ‘Ellenbank Skylark’ (montbretia) blended with the purple of Allium sphaerocephalon (plums on sticks, round headed leek) and topped with the texture of the Stipa gigantea (golden oat grass).