Nan’s Notes:
Sometimes, knowing what not to plant is just as important – maybe more so – than knowing what to plant. There are a number of entries in my “Don’t Plant This” department. Close to the top of the list is Mexican needlegrass, aka Mexican feathergrass. It has two botanical names as well: Nasella tenuissima and Stipa tenuissima.
This Nasella is a beautiful grass. Really beautiful. Its green blades are thread thin and sway gracefully in the slightest breeze. In summer, flower stems appear
Though Mexican needlegrass, Nasella tenuissima, is beautiful, it is a nasty invasive plant that overruns native plants and eliminates habitat for native animals
and topping the green stems in feathery blonde.
Though Mexican needlegrass, Nasella tenuissima, is beautiful, it is a nasty invasive plant that overruns native
plants and eliminates habitat for native animals
But watch out. Those blonde heads release tons of seeds.
Soon, this beautiful seductress takes over the garden. It pops up in every crack and crevice
Mexican needlegrass’ blonde seedheads release thousands of seeds, many of which end up in cracks and crevices where they aren’t wanted. After a short time, this grass becomes a maintenance nightmare.
It fills garden beds. Then, it moves into the neighbors’ garden. And then, into nearby canyons and estuaries where it crowds out the native plants. Invasive plant species like this one replace the plants that native animals depend on for food and shelter. That’s bad. Very bad…
There are alternatives to Mexican needlegrass. None is quite as lovely but all are well worth growing. My favorite is purple three awn (Aristida purpurea), a native with equally fine deep green blades. It grows about three feet tall, and blooms with billowy purple flowers in summer and in fall.
Aristida purpurea, purple three awn grass, is a native with billowy foliage topped in purple flowers. It’s a great alternative to Mexican feathergrass
