Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Northeastern United States, North-Central United States
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Sugar Maple, Norway Maple, Red Maple
Number of Varieties
1515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
bottomlands, Forests, Moist Soils
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-104-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
8-3
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm3,779.52 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm1,219.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow green, Chartreuse
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Yellow, Red, Orange
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, 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, Alkaline
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 damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Birds
Allergy
-
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Sap, Tree trunks
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Edible syrup, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
ACER nigrum
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Black Maple
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
Black Maple Tree
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Schwarz Ahorn
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
Noir Érable
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
Negro del árbol de arce
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
Μαύρο Maple Tree
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
Árvore de bordo preto
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
Czarny klon
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
White Acer ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Sapindales
Family
Poaceae
Aceraceae
Genus
Nassella
Acer
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Stipeae
Areceae
Subfamily
-
Hippocastanoideae
Number of Species
11610
1
27800
👆🏻