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Value-for-money

Stipa gigantea

Stipa gigantea
Giant Feather Grass, Golden Oats

4,3/5
23 reviews
6 reviews
2 reviews
1 reviews
3 reviews

I planted 3 of them, of which two have taken very well. They are growing and are already around 40/50cm, I would say. I guess they reach ripeness after about 3 years? I think I should have planted 3 more around them to have a very solid group. So, I am thinking of ordering more to better fill this area of my garden.

Marie-Claire, 16/09/2024

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This plant carries a 12 months recovery warranty

More information

Graden Merit
This is a spectacular grass, forming a tall, dense and vigorous clump with very fine, shiny, bluish-green leaves. Its fine, light flower heads are silvery-purple in early summer, turning golden in winter. This plant prefers light, draining soil, which can be dry in summer, and requires full sun.
Flower size
20 cm
Height at maturity
2 m
Spread at maturity
1 m
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -23°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil
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Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November
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Flowering time May to July
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Description

The Stipa gigantea, or Giant Feather Grass, is a perennial grass that is robust, spectacular and highly ornamental. Its very fine foliage, with a shiny green colour, gathered in a dense tuft, forms a compact mass adorned in May-June with gracefully arching panicles of inflorescences, carried at human height by solid and slender stems. Purple-silver in early summer, they take on a golden hue in winter and remain decorative for a long time on a more or less evergreen plant. This vigorous stipa retains its elegance for a long time and is not invasive. While it represents a charming asset for all gardens, it is a boon for dry and poor soils!

The Stipa gigantea is part of the large family of grasses. This perennial grass, native to Spain, Portugal and Morocco, is a plant perfectly adapted to summer drought, even to arid situations. Its hardiness is around -12/15 °C (10.4/5°F). The giant feather grass is anchored on short rhizomes that spread slowly and, in 3 or 4 years, form a bristling tuft slightly arched, 55-60 cm (22-24in) high and 50 cm (20in) wide for the foliage. This, evergreen in mild climates, is composed of long, very narrow, leathery leaves covered with a shiny cuticle. The flowering resembles that of oats. It begins in late spring, usually in May, and continues until July. Numerous solid stems, 1.80 m (6ft) to 2 m (7ft) tall, emerge from the foliage, bearing at their ends pendulous, 20 cm (8in) long, fluffy, silver spikes that move at the slightest breath of air. They turn golden in winter and persist on the plant until December. This grass does not self-sow as easily as some of its cousins.

The giant feather grass prefers calcareous, dry to moist, but light and even rocky soils. It can be used in mass plantings or even as a standalone in a minimalist garden, planted in groups of 3 specimens in front of the dark background of a conifer (Thuja occidentalis Emerald, Taxus baccata, Juniperus communis Hibernica) or an evergreen shrub (Eleagnus ebbingeii, Myrtus communis, Myrsine africana, boxwood, Cotoneaster lacteus, Lonicera nitida). Like all ornamental grasses, it lightens the flowering of heavier perennials such as peonies, daylilies or dry-soil irises. In a wildflower meadow, it can be paired with asters, rudbeckias or tall sedums. Grasses bring movement and naturalness to the garden. They are interesting for their striking display in the garden at the end of summer and autumn when their dried flower heads remain major focal points. Its flowers, picked in the heart of summer, can be used in dried flower arrangements.

Stipa gigantea in pictures

Stipa gigantea  (Foliage) Foliage
Stipa gigantea  (Plant habit) Plant habit

Flowering

Flower colour grey
Flowering time May to July
Inflorescence Panicle
Flower size 20 cm
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 2 m
Spread at maturity 1 m
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Stipa

Species

gigantea

Family

Poaceae

Other common names

Giant Feather Grass, Golden Oats

Origin

Mediterranean

Product reference812032

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Planting and care

The Stipa gigantea is planted in full sun, in a light, rather poor and chalky soil, even stony or sandy. Fresh soil, if perfectly healthy in winter and well-drained, will allow faster growth and give the plant a more luxurious appearance. It is preferable to plant this young plant in cold regions in spring, after frost. In hot and dry climates, on the other hand, it should be planted in October to allow it to establish before summer arrives. This plant is hardy up to -12/-15°C (10.4/5°F) if the soil does not retain stagnant moisture in winter. A spring fertiliser application in poor soil stimulates the shoot growth of new foliage. Remove damaged foliage in late winter by raking it, but never cut it down to the ground, as you risk killing it.

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Planting period

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery
Type of use Back of border, Slope
Hardiness Hardy down to -23°C (USDA zone 6a) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Poor, light, stony, well-drained

Care

Pruning instructions Comb the old foliage at the end of winter by hand or using a rake. Do not cut back the foliage!
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time February to March
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
4,3/5

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