Grass · Poaceae Draft — unreviewed
Mexican feather grass
Nassella tenuissima (Trin.) Barkworth
Synonyms: Stipa tenuissima.
Hair-fine grass that ripples in the slightest breeze, turning blond in summer. Native to New Mexico.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 0.3–0.6 m (1–2 ft) tall and 0.3–0.5 m (1 ft) wide; fast growth, about 2 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.45) from the #1 install size.
Design notes
- Reseeds heavily and is invasive outside its native range in some western states; use with care near natural areas.
- Comb out dead blades in late winter rather than cutting hard.
Regions
Native range: New Mexico, west Texas, Mexico and Argentina.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Blue grama
Bouteloua gracilis · Grass · 0.3–0.6 m (1–2 ft)
Deer grass
Muhlenbergia rigens · Grass · 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft)
Shenandoah switchgrass
Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' · Grass · 0.9–1.2 m (3–4 ft)
Little bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium · Grass · 0.6–1.2 m (2–4 ft)
Big sacaton
Sporobolus wrightii · Grass · 1.5–2.1 m (5–7 ft)
Karl Foerster feather reed grass
Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' · Grass · 1.2–1.8 m (4–6 ft)
Plan with Mexican feather grass
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.