Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Herbs
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Europe, Asia
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Thodopuza, Red streaked, Alleppey
Number of Varieties
1530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Loamy soils, Tropical Forests, Tropical regions, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-107-11
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm50.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm100.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Green, Light Green, Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Tan, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Long Elliptic
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
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Mid Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Keep ground moist, 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
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Cut back old stems to the ground, Prune after harvesting, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
Compost, Fertilize the soil before planting, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Leaf Hoppers, Mites, Scale, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Shallow soil
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Caterpillar, Mites, Rabbits, Snails
Allergy
-
Abdominal distension, Blurred vision, Oral Allergy
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Anti-ageing, Blackheads, Blood purifying, Making cosmetics, Natural Sunscreen, Remove blemishes, Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Fixes Nitrogen, Prevent weeds, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Abdominal Disease, Acne, Alzheimer’s Disease, Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Atherosclerosis, Brain disease, Carminative, Cold, Diarrhea, Digestion problems, Eczema, Liver problems, Menstrual Cramps, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms, Treatment of ulcers, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Used as an ointment, Used as colouring in foods, Used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Alpine, Cutflower, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
Curcuma longa
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Turmeric, Curcuma
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
हल्दी
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Kurkuma
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
curcuma
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
Curcuma longa
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
κουρκούμη
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
curcuma
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
kurkuma
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
turmeric
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Zingiberales
Family
Poaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Nassella
Curcuma
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Stipeae
Zingibereae
Subfamily
-
Zingiberoideae
Number of Species
116100
1
27800
👆🏻