Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
North America
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Helianthus annuus, Heliantheae,
Number of Varieties
1540
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Dry areas, Open areas, Prairies
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-103-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
12-1
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm8.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm2.46 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Brown, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black, Chocolate, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green, Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Dry, Light, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Dry, Light, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Prune ocassionally, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Alternaria leaf blight, Apical chlorosis, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Botrytis head rot, Charcoal rot, Crown gall, Downy mildew, Erwinia stalk rot, Fusarium stalk rot, Fusarium wilt, head rot, Phialophora yellows, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes, Itchy eyes
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Pulmonary afflictions
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
As Fertilizers, Economic Purpose, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for producing cooking oil
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edging, Edible, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Vegetable
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
Helianths Annuus
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Sunflower
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
Sūrajamukhī
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Sonnenblume
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
Tournesol
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
Girasol
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
ηλιοτρόπιο
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
Girassol
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
słonecznik
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Helianthus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Asterales
Family
Poaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Nassella
Heilanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
-
Tribe
Stipeae
Heliantheae
Subfamily
-
Helianthodeae
Number of Species
11670
1
27800
👆🏻