Grasses - Feather grasses

Plant family

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Dry

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

Low

Light germinator

Germination temperature

15 - 20 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

30 cm

Row spacing

30 cm

Seeding depth

0.2 cm

Instructions

Description

Appearance and growth Feather grass usually forms dense, roundish clumps. The leaves are very thin, usually hairy on the underside and tend to curl up in dry conditions. The most striking features are the fine flower panicles and the awns hanging from the flowers, which gently sway back and forth at the slightest breeze. The feather grass flowers between July and September. Depending on the species and variety, the flower color varies between white, silvery and yellowish. One of the smallest species is the feather grass (Stipa pennata), which grows to a height of 25 to 50 centimetres. The giant feather grass (Stipa gigantea), on the other hand, reaches a height of up to 200 centimetres, and the variety 'Goldfontäne', which was bred by the well-known perennial gardener Ernst Pagels, even reaches up to 250 centimetres. Although feather grass is a perennial grass, some species are quite short-lived. Many species survive in the garden by self-seeding, while others, such as the heron feather grass, have to be sown again.

Growing tips

Location and soil