Stipe (Stipa tenuissima)

Small, supple, and light grass, waving in the wind, it is often called “angel hair”. The stem forms dense tufts of evergreen leaves, thin as a hair, of pretty soft green in spring, taking on bronze reflections in autumn. Silvery inflorescences, with a frayed appearance (due to the hairs carried by the seeds, called ridges), emerge from the tuft.

Technical sheet

Type of plant: grass (poaceae)
Exposure: sun
Soil: dry and poor 

Cultivation conditions

The stipe likes open spaces, full sun and poor, light and always well-drained soils. Short-lived perennial, it reseeds itself.

Maintenance and other care

In spring, comb the old foliage by hand, and do not cut it back!

Use

Usage: Solid, border, stew, bouquets.

Species and varieties

• S. ‘Pony Tails’, 60 cm, white panicles, then fawn;
• S. barbata, 75 cm, long silvery ridges;
• S. pulcherrima, 60 cm, very long arabesque ridges;
• S. gigantea, 2 m, bluish green leaves, and loose, golden spikes.