Beautiful golden panicles rise on tall stems above evergreen foliage: that is giant feather grass (Stipa gigantea), a very tall perennial grass grown for its ornamental value. It fits right into a grass bed and does just as well as a standalone, asking only for full sun and ordinary well-drained soil — poor ground suits it perfectly.
| Name | Stipa gigantea |
|---|---|
| Family | Poaceae |
| Type | perennial, grass |
| Height | 6 ½ feet (2 meters) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | ordinary, well drained |
| Foliage | evergreen |
| Flowering | midsummer to mid-autumn |
This easy-to-care-for plant fits right into a grass bed and also does great as a standalone thanks to its ornamental value.
Indifferently either in spring or fall.
Choose a full sun location.
No pruning is required but it is nonetheless preferable to cut the stems back at the end of winter.
If you wish to reduce your feather grass in size, wait for the blooming to end.
Giant feather grass asks for very little, and what little it does ask falls at set moments of the year. Here is the whole of its care in one view.
| Task | When | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Planting | Spring or autumn | Full sun position, in ordinary well-drained soil |
| Propagating | Autumn | Split established clumps by crown division |
| Flowering | Midsummer to mid-autumn | Golden panicles carried well above the foliage |
| Cutting back | Late winter | Not required, but cutting the stems back tidies the clump |
Apart from these few moments, the plant looks after itself.
This very tall perennial is part of the grasses family and it produce beautiful golden panicles from summer to fall.
You can set your feather grass up in perennial beds or shrub beds, and also as standalones or to highlight its superb foliage.
Caring for it is very easy.
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This grass is particularly well suited to poor soil.
