Mexican feather grass looks like a hazy smudge of golden color in the distance, and who wouldn't want that as a backdrop in the garden?
Like other grasses in the Stipa genus, Mexican feather grass develops delicate pale green flowers which turn wheat-colored, at the tips of stems that move in a breeze. In addition to looking beautiful, it requires little water, intermingles easily with other perennials, and will provide structure in a garden bed nearly year-round.
In addition to Mexican feather grass (Stipa tenuissima or Nassella tenuissima), there are many other useful varieties of feather grasses; heights, colors, and growing tendencies differ. For landscaping ideas, here are a dozen of our favorite gardens with feather grasses:
Gauzy Backdrop
Above: Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.
White flowers with yellow centers pop against a backdrop of Mexican feather grass. In my own garden, last summer I planted a bed of grasses and low-water perennials including Echinacea 'White Swan.' To recreate the look, plant a mix of Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' ($9.95 apiece from White Flower Farm) and Stipa Tenuissima ($8.99 apiece from High Country Gardens). Both ship for fall planting.
Slope Softener
Above: Photograph via Robert Kennett.
A variety of grasses, including feathery Stipa gigantea, solve problems in a Dorset garden sited "mostly on an exposed, north-facing slope," says UK-based designer Robert Kennett. "This border looks particularly dazzling when its architectural shapes are covered in frost." A 5-inch-deep pot of Stipa Gigantea is $8.99 from High Country Gardens (ships in September for fall planting).
Breezy Buffer
Above: In the same Dorset garden, designer Robert Kennett planted Mexican feather grass at the front of a border to "billow in the breeze...for a dynamic dimension."
Mown Path
Above: For more, see 9 Garden Ideas to Steal from England's Tom Stuart-Smith.
A mown path cuts through a meadow of feather grass designed by UK-based landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith.
Defining Moment
Above: Photograph via The Garden Wanderer.
Garden designer Piet Oudolf uses a hazy swath of feather grass to create structure in a bed of mixed perennials and grasses. For more of Oudolf's work, see Garden Visit: Dutch Master Piet Oudolf in Yorkshire.
Perennial Path
Above: Mexican feather grass grows alongside a path on New York's High Line, where architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed what they call a “pathless landscape.” Pre-cast concrete pavers with tapered ends organically diffuse into plant beds. The open joints between the pavers encourage growth, “like wild grass through cracks in the sidewalk.”
For more, see 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from the High Line in New York City.
Decked Out
Above: Photograph via Jörg Kaspari.
Feather grass is a hardy potted companion, as well. Planters of Mexican feather grass sit at the edge of wooden decking at Crockmore House in Oxfordshire, UK, in a garden designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole.
Purple Pros
Above: In this garden bed, plants include silvery Artemesia 'Powis Castle', perennial grass Stipa tenuissima, and purple spikes of Russian sage. For more, see Rehab Diaries: The Resurrection of a Medieval Nobleman's Garden.
To recreate the look, Artemisia Powis Castle is $8.98 apiece fand a low-growing variety of Russian sage, Perovskia 'Little Spire', is $9.98 apiece; both available from Santa Rosa Gardens.
Border Lands
Above: For more, see Garden Visit: A Seaside Landscape in Northern France.
Designers at Cao-Perrot Studio planted clumps of feather grass as a hedge in a border of lavender.
Cottage Garden Companion
Above: Stipa gigantea grows in an ornamental border by British landscape designer Sarah Price. For more, see 10 Ideas to Steal from English Cottage Gardens.
Layered Look
Above: Photograph via The Garden Wanderer.
Hazy clumps of feather grass add a layer of contrasting texture to Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf's tightly pruned hedges. For more of his work, see Garden Visit: Dutch Master Piet Oudolf in Yorkshire.
Tough Customer
Above: Stipa tenuifolia will grow in happy clumps even in poor soil. For more, see 10 Easy Pieces: Tough Perennials for City Gardens.
For more of our favorite ways to use grasses in a garden, see:
- Leaves of Grass: 9 Ways to Create Curb Appeal with Perennial Grasses.
- Landscape on a Budget: 11 Ideas for a Summer Grass Path.
- 5 Favorites: Shimmery Grasses to Perk Up a Fall Garden.
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