Gerald L. Klingaman
Family
Poaceae
Botanical Name
Nassella tenuissima
Plant Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
General Description
Fountain-shaped clumps of fine-textured leaves and puffy seed plumes makes the Mexican feather grass one of the most beautiful ornamental grasses for low-maintenance landscapes. This semi-evergreen perennial is native to the southwestern United States (Texas and New Mexico) to central Mexico, with an adjunct population in Argentina and Chile. Mexican feather grass - also called finestem needlegrass - grows in the open woods on slopes and rocky flats in well-drained soils.
This grass is semi-evergreen and grows in the cooler months when moisture is abundant. When summer heat and drought becomes extreme, the plant turns tan and enters dormancy. In some climates, growth is from spring to fall with the tan-colored foliage dormancy in the frosty winter months.
The green to pale silver-green, thread-like leaf blades are glossy and look like tufted clumps in great numbers. Anytime from early to late summer, upright stems bear clusters (panicles) of tiny silvery white flowers above the foliage. These flowers are wind pollinated and turn into feathery, soft-looking seed heads that turn tan and gold. Frost or drought kills the leaves, creating an architecturally pretty skeleton. Once soil moisture and proper temperatures coincide again, new leaf blades grow to renew the grass clump.
Grow Mexican feather grass in full sun and moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Wet soil causes rot and plant death, and pull back mulch to ensure the grass clump's crown doesn't remain damp. If planted in moist, very fertile garden soils, this grass can self-sow and become quite weedy. It does grow well in containers, however. Use Mexican feather grass in a meadow or rock garden design, as a companion to annual bedding plants or in massed groups in foundation beds or mixed borders. Cut back the dry, dead foliage either in early fall (in regions where summers are hot and dry and winters are mild and rainy) or late winter (where winters have freezes and summers are warm but rainy).
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
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USDA Hardiness Zone
6 - 10
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Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Grass
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
20"-36" / 50.8cm - 91.4cm
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Width
22"-36" / 55.9cm - 91.4cm
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Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
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Native To
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Clay, Loam, Sand
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Tolerances
Drought
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Growth Rate
Medium
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Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
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Habit
Clump-Forming
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
Yellow Green, Ivory
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Fruit Color
Yellow Green, Tan, Ivory, Silver
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Light Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Yellow Green, Tan
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Yellow Green, Tan
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Green, Yellow Green, Gold, Tan
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
Yes
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Fine
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
Semi-Evergreen
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
Sometimes
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Self-Sowing
Yes
