Pheasants Tail Grass (Stipa Arundinacea)

Pheasants Tail Grass (syn. Anemanthele lessoniana) is an elegant, arching ornamental grass valued for year-round texture and movement. Forming a graceful fountain of fine leaves, the foliage develops warm orange and red-bronze tints in cooler months, while airy flower panicles appear in summer above the clump. It thrives in full sun or light shade in well-drained, moderately fertile soil, works beautifully in mixed borders, gravel plantings and containers, and needs little maintenance beyond combing or lightly trimming old foliage in late winter. In Irish gardens it is generally hardy, remaining evergreen in mild areas.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Full sun or light shade

Rate of Growth: Moderate

Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil

Hardiness: Hardy to about -10°C

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Plant at a Glance