Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
1515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-106-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
12-6
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, H2, 2a, 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
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
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
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Needs small amount of water
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
-
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
सुई ताड़
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Nadel -Palme
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
palmera aguja
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
Igła palma
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Arecales
Family
Poaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Nassella
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Stipeae
Corypheae
Subfamily
-
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
11610
1
27800
👆🏻