Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Grass
Origin
Caribbean, Central America, South America, Brazil
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
-
Nassella tenuissima
Number of Varieties
-15
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, subtropical regions
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-156-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
11 - 4
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
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
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm50.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
550.00 cm55.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory, Gray
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Magenta, Violet
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Cuneate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Late Winter
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require regular watering
Do not water excessively
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
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
Wood
Leaves
Other Uses
Used for woodware, Wood is used for making furniture
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
TRIPLARIS americana
NASSELLA tenuissima
Common Name
Ant Stick, Macaw, St. Mary's Stick
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
In Hindi
Macaw
Mexican Feather Grass
In German
Ara
Mexikanische Federgras
In French
ara
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
In Spanish
guacamayo
Pluma hierba mexicana
In Greek
μακώ
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
In Portuguese
arara
Mexican Pena Relva
In Polish
ara
Mexican Feather trawy
In Latin
Ara
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cyperales
Family
Polygonaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Triplaris
Nassella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Stipeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
-116
1
27800
👆🏻