Plant library · Ornamental Grasses
Nassella tenuissima
Mexican Feather Grass, Nassella tenuissima, is a fine-textured perennial ornamental grass that reaches about 2 feet tall and 1 1/2 feet wide. Its silky blonde plumes bring movement to a planting when air passes through the bed. Use its small, airy clumps to soften the transition between more solid forms rather than expecting it to create a dense screen or tall backdrop.
Place it in full-sun areas where its loose, shimmering outline can be seen from a path, patio, or frequently used window. It works well in a dry-looking border, a rock-garden-style bed, or a container where the foliage can spill softly around less mobile forms. Set clumps just behind low edging plants or weave them through a middle layer, while keeping their mature spread clear of path edges and tight corners.[1][2]
Space plants 18 inches apart, center to center, for a continuous but still distinct planting. Each clump can reach about 1 1/2 feet wide, so this spacing lets the fine leaves meet visually without requiring an oversized bed. In a narrow border, use a single staggered row and reserve enough depth for the foliage to move without brushing a walk or crowding neighboring plants.
Give Mexican Feather Grass a full-sun position and keep it out of persistently wet ground. Its low-water role makes it a better fit for freely draining portions of the garden than for irrigated bed centers or low spots that stay damp after rain. Once established, it can handle dry periods, though prolonged summer drought may temporarily send the foliage dormant.[1][2]
Silky plumes arrive from late spring into early summer, adding a pale, mobile layer above the foliage. Leave enough open space around each clump for this seasonal display to read clearly rather than disappearing into dense neighboring growth. In late winter or early spring, remove tired foliage before new growth begins so the refreshed clump has room to emerge cleanly.[1][2]
This grass self-seeds freely, so treat it as a plant that may need monitoring beyond its original footprint. Avoid using it where seedlings would be difficult to notice or remove, such as among tightly packed perennials, gravel joints, or unmanaged bed edges. Keep a reachable route along the planting so stray seedlings can be dealt with before they fill open spaces.[1][2]
Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.