Everything about Stipa grass : How to Plant & care for them

Stipa specifications

• Scientific name : Stipa
• Latin Name : Stipa Tenuissima
  
• English Name : Mexican Feather Grass, Stipa Pony Tails, Texas Needle Grass
• Order : Poales
• Family : Poaceae
• Subfamily : Pooideae
• Supertribe : Stipodae
• Tribe : Stipeae
• Genus : Stipa
• Position : full sun
• Soil : moderately fertile, medium to light, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth : fast-growing
• Flowering period : June to September
• Hardiness : fully hardy
• Height : 16 – 24″ (41 – 61cm)
• Width : 24″ (61cm)
• Water : Medium
• Fertilize : Every two weeks

Stipa or needle grass is a genus of around 300 large perennial hermaphroditic grasses collectively known as feather grass, needle grass, and spear grass. They are placed in the subfamily Pooideae and the tribe Stipeae, which also contains many species formerly assigned to Stipa, which have since been reclassified into new genera.

Many species are important forage crops. Several species such as Stipa brachytricha, S. arundinacea, S. splendens, S. calamagrostis, S. gigantea and S. pulchra are used as ornamental plants. One former species, esparto grass (Macrochloa tenacissima), is used for crafts and extensively in paper making.

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This plant is a compact, evergreen ornamental grass. It has upright clumps of airy silver green foliage, topped with feathery flower heads in summer, and sways gently in the slightest breeze.

Selected species

• Stipa avenacea – black oat grass
• Stipa baicalensis Roshev.
• Stipa barbata Desf.
• Stipa bavarica
• Stipa borysthenica
• Stipa brachytricha – Korean feather grass
• Stipa canadensis
• Stipa capensis
• Stipa capillata L.
• Stipa coreana Honda – Korean needlegrass[6]
• Stipa grandis P.A.Smirn.
• Stipa joannis Čelak.
• Stipa leptogluma
• Stipa mexicana
• Stipa milleana
• Stipa mollis
• Stipa pennata L. – feather grass
• Stipa pulcherrima
• Stipa speciosa
• Stipa tirsa Steven
• Stipa tulcanensis
• Stipa turkestanica Hack.
• Stipa zalesskii Wilensky

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Flowering time of stipa grass

Flowering time of this plant in spring is from July to August.

How to grow Stipa

Grow Stipa grasses in full sun and well drained soil. Comb through in spring or early summer to remove any dead growth. If the plant is flopping or beginning to look messy, cut back hard in late spring or early summer.

How to plant Stipa

Simply dig a hole the size of the root ball, drop the plant into it, firm in and water well. If you’re gardening on heavy soil, add a handful of horticultural grit or sand to the hole before planting.

If growing Stipa in a pot, make sure your chosen container has drainage holes at the bottom. Add some crocks at the base, then plant into peat-free multipurpose compost with some grit or perlite added to aid drainage.

Caring for Stipa

Stipa is an evergreen grass, so should not be cut back in late winter along with deciduous grasses such as Stipa gigantea. Instead, in April or May, comb through the grass with your fingers (wear gloves) or a rake to remove any old foliage or seed heads – the old growth should come away easily.

If your plants are beginning to look a bit messy or have got very wet in heavy rain, you can cut them back hard in late spring or early summer. They will soon regrow.

Stipa is drought tolerant when established, so there is no need to water your plant. Do not feed or mulch Stipa – it does best on poorer soils. Too rich a soil will encourage floppy growth.

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How to propagate Stipa

As Stipa gently self seeds, you may find that you have plenty of plants in your garden already. Alternatively, for lots of plants to dot about the garden, sow seeds in a cold frame in spring. You can also divide existing plants from mid-spring to early summer.

Reproduction method is possible from the following methods :

• By sowing seeds : The time of sowing seeds of this plant is in spring and after the end of winter.
  
• Through plant division : Plant division of this plant is done in early spring.

Iran dried stipa grass

Due to its unique beauty, needle grasses or dried stipa grasses are widely used in green space and interior decoration design. The reasonable price of dried stipa grass has caused it to have many fans all over the world, and the sale and purchase of dried stipa grass for export has brought a lot of profits to stipa grass exporters and traders active in this field.

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Stipa propagation

Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or by division in spring.

Stipa grasses breeding conditions

• This plant has been mentioned as one of the most important forage grasses suitable for rehabilitating arid areas.
• This plant, while having a special root structure, is able to be well established in dry habitats and tolerate dry and fragile conditions in these areas.
• Grows in a variety of soils from clay to sandy and acidic to alkaline. Cultivated lands should be well irrigated.
• The places where this plant is grown should be completely sunny or with a little shade. The increase of steppe is through seed cultivation.

Notice : This article translated by google form Persian language. If you have any question or need more information please contact us or add a comment at the bottom of this page.