Stipa tenacissima: Country Or Region Of Origin
Argentina, Chili, Mexico, Texas
Plant Profile: Stipa tenacissima
Taxonomy: Stipa tenacissimaNames
Esparto Grass, Mexican Feather Grass, Needle Grass, Texas Needle Grass
Phonetic Spelling:STEE-pah
Genus:Stipa
Species:tenacissima
Family:
This cool-season grass features silver-green foliage and forms a tufted clump reminiscent of basil. In early summer and autumn, it produces a silvery-green flower cluster. However, it is considered invasive in California.
Stipa tenacissima Feature Summary
Stipa tenacissima Image Gallery
Tags
#silver leaves
#fall interest
#ornamental grass
#Cool season grass
#clumping
Similar Plants
Stipa tenacissima Feature Summary
Attributes
Argentina, Chili, Mexico, Texas
Perennial
Seed
Division
Flowers
Bears pale-yellow flowers that change to tan color heads in the late summer.
White
Cream/Tan
Good Cut
Showy
Long-lasting
Good Dried
Summer
Fall
Winter
1-3 inches
Leaves
Hair like silver-green leaves
Green
Gray/Silver
Brown/Copper
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
12 inches-3 feet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
Clay
Sand
Stem
Landscape
Rock Garden
Border
Mass Planting
Drought
Deer
Container
Butterflies
Stipa tenacissima Image Gallery
Stipa tenacissima Attributes
Stipa tenacissima: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Stipa tenacissima: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Stipa tenacissima Flowers
Stipa tenacissima: Flower Description
Bears pale-yellow flowers that change to tan color heads in the late summer.
Stipa tenacissima: Flower Color
Cream/Tan
White
Stipa tenacissima: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Stipa tenacissima: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Stipa tenacissima: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Stipa tenacissima Leaves
Stipa tenacissima: Leaf Description
Hair like silver-green leaves
Stipa tenacissima: Leaf Color
Gray/Silver
Green
Stipa tenacissima: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color
Brown/Copper
Stipa tenacissima: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Stipa tenacissima Whole Plant Traits
Stipa tenacissima: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Stipa tenacissima: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Stipa tenacissima: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Stipa tenacissima Cultural Conditions
Stipa tenacissima: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Stipa tenacissima: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Stipa tenacissima: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Stipa tenacissima: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Stipa tenacissima: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
10a
10b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Stipa tenacissima: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Stipa tenacissima Stem
Stipa tenacissima: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Stipa tenacissima Landscape
Stipa tenacissima: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Stipa tenacissima: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Stipa tenacissima: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Stipa tenacissima: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Stipa tenacissima: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
