Stipa gigantea

Giant feather grass

Location

The South Border and Walled Garden

Description:

An evergreen grass that forms a spiky clump of arching deep green foliage from which a huge sheaf of very long-stemmed, oat-like flower-heads emerge in mid-summer, up to 1.8m (6ft) high. These splay apart to make a wide fountain shape and the seed-heads dry out naturally on the plant and persist into early winter, where they make a good architectural feature, especially when outlined in frost.

Site and Care:

Will grow in any type of well-drained light soil in full sun or partial shade. It is an excellent alternative to pampas grass as a lawn specimen in small gardens, and perfect in a border or a gravel garden. Propagation is by division in spring.