Stipa gigantea
Stipa gigantea · Poaceae
📷 Xemenendura · CC BY-SA 4.0
The gardener's calendar
Ideal time to plant stipa gigantea: set it out when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged, and water generously as it establishes.
ID card
- Foliage
- Deciduous, blue-green
- Flowering
- June to July, highly ornamental golden spikelets
- Mature size
- 120–150 cm tall, 60–90 cm wide
- Growth
- Moderate to fast once established
- Hardiness
- Hardy to around –15 °C
- Origin
- Spain, Morocco and Mediterranean regions
- Soil type
- Well-drained, light, poor to average
✓ Taxonomy verifiedSource: AI estimate · hardiness: reliability high.
Expert tips
The key tip
Maintenance-free once established (6 months). It hates enriched soils; plant it in gravel or coarse sand.
The common mistake
People prune it in autumn instead of letting it ornament through winter, and wrongly assume it needs regular watering like a typical ornamental grass.
The pro's trick
Sow it lightly in place in spring rather than transplanting: its deep roots establish better, and it becomes more robust.
Care
Exposure
Giant stipe demands full sun exposure to grow well and flower generously. It tolerates shade poorly and competition from other plants. Plant it in an open location where air circulates freely to prevent stagnant humidity.
Watering
Once well established (after the first year), this grass is very drought-resistant and requires little watering. Water moderately in summer during prolonged heat waves. In winter, reduce watering to an absolute minimum.
Soil
Prefer well-drained, poor to average soil, preferably chalky or neutral. Improve overly compact soils by adding sand or gravel. Absolutely avoid heavy, poorly drained soil which causes root rot.
Pruning and cutting
Cut the stipe to ground level at the end of winter (February–March), before growth resumes. Wear gloves and use sharp tools, as the leaves can be cutting. You can leave some dried flower heads in the preceding autumn for a winter landscape effect.
Fertilising
Giant stipe is undemanding. Fertiliser is generally unnecessary. If the soil is very depleted, a light application of well-decomposed compost in spring is more than sufficient.
Diseases and pests
This grass is robust and rarely affected by diseases. Root rot can occur in overly wet soils. No major pests specifically attack it. Prevent problems by ensuring excellent drainage and optimal aeration.
Did you know?
Giant stipe has fascinated landscapers for decades with its feathery spikelets that remain remarkable throughout summer: their airy, wind-moving habit has inspired numerous Mediterranean gardens and modern xeriscapes. In the Mediterranean, it grows naturally on rocky slopes and helps stabilise arid soils.
Where to buy it
Plant in spring or early autumn, avoiding spells of intense heat. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: March, April, May, September.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
- Tufted hair grassDeschampsia cespitosa
- Wavy hair-grassAvenella flexuosa
- Purple moor-grassMolinia caerulea
- Reed canary-grassPhalaris arundinacea
- Common quaking grassBriza media
- Creeping soft-grassHolcus mollis
Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.