Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
Southern Europe
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
23
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hills, Open grasslands, Open Plains, Slopes
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-104-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 5
9-1
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Gray, Silver, Yellow
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green, Yellow green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Root Division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Requires regular watering
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
pollinators
-
Allergy
Congestion, Rhinitis, Runny nose, Watery eyes
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Informal Hedge
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
-
Whole plant
Other Uses
Dried heads are used in floristry, suitable for cutting
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
STIPA barbata
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Silver Feather Grass
River Birch
In Hindi
Silver Feather Grass
River Birch
In German
Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder'
Fluss Birch
In French
Argent Plume Herbe
Birch river
In Spanish
Silver Feather Grass
river Birch
In Greek
Silver Feather Grass
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
Prata Pena Relva
river Birch
In Polish
Silver Feather Grass
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Silver Feather Grass
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Fagales
Family
Poaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Stipa
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
203
1
27800
👆🏻