Feather grass (Stipa) is a perennial herb from the Cereals or Bluegrass family. In total, there are about 300 types of grass. Feather grass predominantly grows in steppes and mountain plains, prefers a temperate climate.
When organizing landscape design, gardeners manage to use a wide variety of plant species, including grasses and flowers that are hardly noticeable at first glance. Even they are able to create a unique compositional picture and decorate the empty territory of the garden. Let us dwell in more detail on such a representative of cereals as perennial feather grass.
Description of grass feather grass
The feather grass gradually forms its dense turf, which is formed from numerous roots. Erect stems grow no more than one meter in length. Leaves are leathery and elongated, often twisted in the form of a tube. A small proportion of species forms have flat leaf plates.
The inflorescences are woven together in paniculate brushes. The length of the spikelets does not exceed 2.5 cm. The spikelets contain flowers hidden under several scales. The scales, like shutters, protect the core of the flower and fall off as they mature.
Flowering begins in May and lasts only a couple of months. The intensity of budding increases in the second or third year after planting. Some varieties of feather grass flower only in the fourth year.
You should be aware that feather grass is considered an aggressive allergen. For this reason, it is better to refrain from cultivating such a cereal crop on your site in order to avoid unpleasant allergic symptoms.
The grass propagates by self-sowing. The wind often carries seeds throughout the area. You can also do the division of the rhizome.
If you look closely at the bushes, it is easy to notice that the grass behaves differently during dew. The previously twisted stem gradually straightens and squeezes into the ground along with the weevil, releasing small hairs into the soil. By the morning, the stem is leveled back, and individual grains are lost in the ground.
Planting feather grass in the open field
Growing feather grass from seeds
There are a number of factors to consider when seeding. First of all, we are talking about the choice of seeds. Seeds are planted in open ground in spring or late autumn. Winter sowing guarantees the best germination. Having dug up the area, holes are closed for seeds at a distance of 20 cm from each other, then watered. Seeds in the amount of 3-4 pieces are placed inside and sprinkled with soil, lightly tamping.
As for planting and growing the finest feather grass, this exotic species requires more attention. If weather conditions do not allow sowing seeds directly to the site, you will have to start breeding seedlings. Seeds are distributed into pots filled with moist soil. No more than 3 seeds are placed in one pot.The crops should not be allowed to be damaged, therefore they are sprinkled with earth only 1 mm and sprayed with water from a spray bottle on top.
The first shoots break through in 4-5 days. Seedlings begin to prepare in March. A month later, it is dived in different containers, a month later, feather grass is planted in open ground. A dry and well-lit area is selected that is not flooded during prolonged rains. In the steppes, feather grass and many other grasses are especially sensitive to waterlogging of the soil.
In addition to the above claims to the composition of the soil, the plant has no more requirements. For feather grass seedlings, it is allowed to use either a universal soil mixture purchased at a store, or sifted garden soil.
Feather grass care in the garden
Feather grass care activities include removing harmful weeds that adapt to live near cultivated crops. Watering should be done in moderation but regular. However, at first, it is better to moisturize the seedlings properly, then the seedlings are more likely to adapt to the new conditions.
Mature shrubs need an additional source of water only in hot dry weather in the absence of natural precipitation for a long time. Otherwise, the grass turns yellow and loses its decorative effect.
Mineral fertilizers should be applied carefully, otherwise the complexes will simply burn the green mass and flowering shoots, leaving behind bare rhizomes. The same goes for organic dressings. It is recommended to mulch a flowerbed with feather grass with sawdust. Autumn care of feather grass involves pruning withered stems and shoots.
The division of the bushes makes it possible to effectively propagate the grass feather grass on the site. To do this, dig up a rhizome from a healthy plant and divide it in parts. Separate parts are placed in different holes. Division is advised to be carried out at the end of August.
Specimens of feather grass grown from seeds are afraid of transplanting and are difficult to take root in a new area, therefore, it is better to leave cereals in their usual place without special need. Within 10-15 years, the plant without transplantation will delight with flowering.
Feather grass diseases and pests
Infections, diseases and insects practically do not bother the cultural plantings of feather grass. Only if you completely run the neighboring flower beds, you should expect that the infection will jump to the perennial. Of course, there is no need to wait until this happens, since soil oxidation occurs under the influence of pathogens.
Types of feather grass with photo
Today, about 300 species of feather grass are mentioned in the botanical literature, of which 100 species are distinguished by increased resistance to dry hot climates. Consider the most common horticultural crops grown in our regions.
Feather grass (Stipa pennata)
The height of herbal darts is about 30-100 cm. The surface of the stems is slightly pubescent. The leaves are narrow with pointed ends and roll up into tubes. The leaf blades have a slight roughness.
The length of the inflorescences sometimes reaches 25 cm. Each contains 6-20 scaly spikelets. The scales are arranged in two rows. Brownish shoots are bent and have hairy pubescence closer to the top of the bush.
Flowering of the species is seen in late May or June. A month later, the bushes begin to bear fruit with sharp, elongated grains. The plant grows well in loose soil with a neutral drainage environment. Excess moisture damages the grass and leads to growth inhibition.
Beautiful feather grass (Stipa pulcherrima)
Grass of medium length with numerous branches, pubescent in the lower part of internodes. The leaves of the lower tier are narrow in shape with a dark green color, and the leaves of the upper tier are smooth to the touch.
Inflorescence brushes look like compressed panicles. Spikelets with a red tint grow in length no more than 30 cm and include only one flower. The surface of the spikelets is covered with a layer of hairs 3 mm wide.
This type of feather grass looks good in group plantings inside an alpine slide.Separate flower beds with feather grass are mulched with rubble or expanded clay to hide the voids.
Flowering occurs at the end of May or June. Due to its attractiveness and decorative qualities, the plant fully justifies its name. The grass successfully survives winters, even withstands air temperatures dropping to -23 ° C. In nature, the most beautiful feather grass picks up the rocks or mountain plains. The culture is planted on calcareous substrates, where the rhizome will take root well.
Since wild planting of the plant is less and less common, it was decided to include this type of cereal in the Red Book.
The finest feather grass (Stipa tenuissima)
Another perennial that can only be seen occasionally in our area. Strong stems reach a height of 70 cm. The leaf blades are stiff and rough. They have a narrow shape, like other representatives of the species. The flowering panicles are about 20 cm in size. The panicles form spike-shaped arrows in purple tones. The main spine bends, at the bottom it is devoid of hairiness, and to the top, on the contrary, it is covered with short bristles.
The species blooms in the first decade of summer. For planting, it is preferable to choose fertile chernozems. Severe frosts are not terrible for the grass and are easily tolerated.
Hairy feather grass (Stipa capillata)
Popularly, the culture is called hairy feather grass - a medium-sized plant with green thin longitudinal or flat gray leaves. The outer and inner sides of the plates are protected by the hairy cover. The internodes on the stems are quite inconspicuous.
The scales located at the bottom of the flower are small in size. Their edges also have hairs. The awn is bent twice. In the lower part, the awn is smooth to the touch, higher - it is overgrown with fluff. Warm steppes are one of the favorite places for the growth of hairy feather grass. Short spikelets bloom early in the season. In most regions, this species is gradually disappearing.
Magnificent feather grass (Stipa magnifica Junge)
Bushes grown under normal conditions grow to a height of 40 to 75 cm. In soils enriched with fertilizers, it can stretch for another 15-20 cm. The leaves are twisted, no more than 7 mm wide. The flowers are framed by small hairy scales.
The main spine is usually bent once. Some varieties have a kind of "antennae". The budding period is similar to other species. The self-seeding feather grass of the magnificent cover the mountainous regions of Altai and the Urals. Even in the south, the grass takes root safely.
Feather grass in landscape design
At first glance, feather grass looks rather modest compared to other flowering perennials. However, this is more an advantage than a disadvantage. Cultural plantings of feather grass will perfectly complement any alpine slide. Gardeners have long learned to combine cereals with other flowers and herbs.
Such combinations, where miscanthuses, fescue, foxtail, echinacea or chamomile are present next to the feather grass, will not leave the guests of your personal plot indifferent. The perennial is also a great backdrop for poppies, sage, scabios and rose bushes.
Often, feather grass becomes a compositional element of many group plantings and sets off more saturated and graceful flowers. Having chosen this cereal as the central element of the flower bed, it is surrounded with bright flowers, for example, small roses.
Feather grass is used in the design of a natural reservoir in the garden. Arrows of reeds, sedges, irises are ideally combined next to it. Since the grass prefers a dry substrate, it is best to place the plantings on the sides of the path that leads to the lake.
Alpine slides are the most popular use for feather grass. Blooming shoots of grass, like edging, will limit the granite area. Representatives of conifers, barberry, boxwood and other undersized bushes can become neighbors.
If there is no time to come up with complex plant compositions, they start up a thick strip of feather grass near the fence. It will clearly highlight the boundaries of the garden, create the effect of completeness and order.The arrangement of grass near wattle fences or arches will be no less attractive and expressive.
In conclusion, it is worth adding that the modest feather grass should deserve close attention from novice gardeners. Among cereal crops, the plant occupies a worthy place and will decorate any garden.
