Stipa calamagrostis Allgäu - Silver Feather Grass

The Stipa calamagrostis 'Allgäu' is a particularly decorative form of an already graceful grass also known as Achnatherum calamagrostis, the silver feather grass. It is a medium-sized grass, easy to grow in well-drained soil, well adapted to dry, even limestone or poor soils. It forms a fountain of slightly bluish green leaves from which elegant flat and feathery inflorescences emerge in summer, becoming golden brown at maturity. A flowering that remains decorative until the doors of winter. Ideal in a garden without watering, in a bed or on a slope.

The Achnatherum calamagrostis 'Allgäu' is a non-spreading herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Poaceae family, like many grasses. The origin of the species is in the mountainous regions of central and Southern Europe, where it grows in clearings on poor and limestone soils. This turf-forming plant slowly widens without becoming invasive. It grows in dense, slightly arching tufts composed of very fine leaves, smooth on the top, finely hairy on the underside, with a slightly bluish green colour. When mature, it will measure about 1m in height when flowering and about 50cm in width. Its growth is quite rapid, depending on the growing conditions. In winter, the foliage dries in cold climates, it can remain partially green in mild climates. In summer, from June to September depending on the climate, rigid culms emerge from the tuft of leaves, bearing thin, flat, flexible, soft and silky inflorescences, silver-white, becoming golden beige in autumn. The seeds form in late summer on the spikes that remain on the plant in winter. The stump of the silver feather grass can withstand -20°C, even more, in healthy soil.

The Stipa calamagrostis 'Allgäu' is an ideal plant for dry gardens and areas with poor, rocky soil. This grass seduces with the poetry of its flowering, the grace of its foliage, and its decorative aspect for a good part of the year. Animated by the slightest breeze, the plant is shaped by the wind, sublimated by the low evening light, gently rustling, almost musical. It perfectly accompanies floriferous and light perennials such as toadflaxes, gauras, Asters for dry soil, or even annual poppies and asphodels. Dark, green or purple foliage will highlight its long hair that catches the light so well. Depending on the climate, you can choose for example a Phormium 'Dark Delight' or the Sedum 'Purple Emperor'. Bushy salvias, which flower late in the season, are also beautiful companions for grasses.