Leaf
David J. Stang, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mexican feather grass
Stipa tenuissima Trin.
Also known as: Angel hair grass, Finestem needlegrass
Family: Poaceae
40 to 60 cm tall
Grown in borders and sunny rock gardens, poor, free-draining soils
Flowering: June – August
Full sun
Fairly hardy, to about -15°C, dislikes stagnant moisture in winter
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Mexican feather grass is known in French as 'cheveux d'ange' (angel's hair) because its tuft of thread-like leaves is so fine and silky that it ripples at the slightest breath of wind, creating a continuous effect of movement much sought after in contemporary gardens.
🍃 Leaves
Very fine, thread-like, forming a dense, silky tuft
🌸 Flowers
Fine spikelets grouped in light, airy panicles, rippling in the slightest wind
🍎 Fruits
Small caryopsis
🪵 Bark
Dense grassy tuft, without a woody stem
🗺️ Distribution
Native to South America; widely grown in France as an ornamental grass
🐝 Value for pollinators
Wind-pollinated, of little interest to pollinators
✂️ Horticultural uses
Ornamental grass planted for its silky texture and movement in the wind, widely used in contemporary borders
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No notable known toxicity
🌿 Other Poaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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