Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Perennial, Shrub
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Northwestern United States, Canada
Types
Nassella tenuissima
sharpleaf penstemon, white-margined beardtongue, lowland beardtongue
Number of Varieties
1578
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
foothill woods, High elevation, Open areas, Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-104-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
9-1
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, 14, 15
Habit
Clump-Forming
Mat-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm45.72 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm40.64 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light 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
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Narrow and lance shape
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
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
Late Spring, Early Summer
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 less watering, Requires regular watering, Water occasionally
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
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
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Asthma, Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Recovering internal injuries, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Container, Used as Ornamental plant, Veterinarian uses
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Alpine, Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
PENSTEMON fruticosus 'Purple Haze'
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Bush Penstemon, Shrubby Penstemon
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
Bush Penstemon
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Bush Penstemon
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
Bush Penstemon
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
Bush Penstemon
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
Μπους Penstemon
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
Bush, Penstemon
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
Bush Penstemon
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Persicaria Bush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Scrophulariales
Family
Poaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Nassella
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Stipeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
116250
1
27800
👆🏻