Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Fruit, Shrub
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
South America
Types
Nassella tenuissima
V. × heilbornii
Number of Varieties
150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-109-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
11-9
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
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Digestive disorders
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used in making champagne
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
Babaco
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Babaco
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
Babaco
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
Babaco
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
Babaco
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
Babaco
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
Babaco
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Babaco
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Brassicales
Family
Poaceae
Caricaceae
Genus
Nassella
Vasconcellea
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Stipeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1161
1
27800
👆🏻