Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Shrub
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Southern Africa
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Carissa Carandas
Number of Varieties
154
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-109-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
12-9
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
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
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
Oval to roundish
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
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Average Water Needs
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
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
-
Mildly Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
नेटाल बेर
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Natal Plum
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
natal Plum
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
Natal Plum
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
Natal Plum
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Natal Plum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Gentianales
Family
Poaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Nassella
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Stipeae
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
11620
1
27800
👆🏻