Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Shrub
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Number of Varieties
15-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Desert, Lower slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-1012-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
12-10
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Rosette
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
DASYLIRION texanum
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
sotol
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Dasylirion texanum
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
sotol
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
sotol
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
sotol
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
sotol
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
sotol
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
sotol
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Liliales
Family
Poaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Nassella
Dasylirion
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Monocots
Tribe
Stipeae
-
Subfamily
-
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
116300
1
27800
👆🏻