Plant Min Zone: 6a
Plant Max Zone: 11b
Sunlight: All Day Full Sun, Full Sun
Water / Rainfall: Low, Average
Soil Quality: Poor, Average
Bloom Season: Early Summer
Flower Color: Brown-Beige
Berry / Fruit Color: Brown-Beige
Spring Foliage Color: Yellowish Green
Summer Foliage Color: Green, Gold
Fall Foliage Color: Green, Gold, Beige
Evergreen Foliage: No
Winter Interest: Yes
Scented Flowers: No
Drought Tolerance: Medium, High
Wet-Feet Tolerance: Low
Humidity Tolerance: High
Wind Tolerance: High
Poor Soil Tolerance: Sandy Soils
Height: 0.5' - 1'
Width: 0.5' - 1'
Growth Rate: Slow
Service Life: Medium: 3-5 years
Maintenance Need: Low
Spreading Potential: Extremely Low
Yearly Trimming Tips: Trim Ornamental Grass to Ground in Early Spring before New Growth: Has Winter Interest.
Plant Grouping Size: Small Grouping of 3-5, Medium Grouping of 5-10
Best Side of House: South Exposure, West Exposure
Extreme Planting Locations: Survives Severe Drought, Tolerates Extreme Heat, Resistant to Rabbits
Ornamental Features: Multiple Seasons of Interest, Long Lasting Fall Color, Bright Winter Color, Fine Texture, Exceptional / Colorful Foliage
Special Landscape Uses: None
Possible Pest Problems: Weed Competition
Plant Limitations: May get Occasional Winter-kill, Needs Excellent Drainage
Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima) has fine hair-like foliage is bright green in summer turning a beige buff color in winter. Delicate and graceful leaves and airy flower heads sway gently with the slightest breeze. Whispy but sturdy seed heads hold up well through winter. Mexican Feather Grass is a short grass native to rocky open slopes, dry woods with shallow rocky soils and grasslands. This is one of a few plants to occur naturally in southwestern North America (including northern Mexico) and in southern South America with no natural populations in between. Normally plant populations with this much isolation would evolve into separate species! Plants adapt to a wide range of conditions and can be invasive in California but never in Kansas. Typical landscape uses in Kansas are as follows: annual plantings, parking lot islands, hot West and South exposures, south facing berms, and xeriscape gardens. It will thrive in most soils but not poor drainage. When used as an annual, it creates an amazing contrast with other flowers. If low temperatures hit -10 degrees F, it may kill an un-mulched plant; protect any zone 6 perennial with thick layer of mulch. However, in our trial gardens in Lawrence, KS (zone 6a), several established specimens survived -17 degrees F. During the arctic blast of February, 2021, lows down to -17 degrees F on Feb 16th, 2021 were recorded. The longevity of this cold blast was also impressive: 10 days on a row with highs of 10-15 degrees F or lower, 8 nights of lows in the single digits and negatives, and 36 strait hours of 0 degrees F and mostly lower.