Stipa Capillata seed
LATIN NAME: STIPA CAPILLATA
COMMON NAME: Needle Grass
The needle grass silks the dense, fountain-like tufts of the narrow, green leaves with the tall, slender stems and the airy, feathery panicles, each seed carrying the long, silky, twisted awn that glints in the light, the whole clump taking on the soft, silvery shimmer through the summer. The awns twist and untwist with the moisture, working the seeds into the soil. The grass grows into the tidy, ornamental tufts, and it stands the heat and the dry spells well. It likes the sun, and the light, well-drained soil.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
In the grass family, the needle grasses have a recognised place in the studies of the steppe plants, and the capillata species appears in the research on the awn mechanics and the drought hardiness. The twisting awns that work the seeds into the soil keep the botanists interested, while the horticulturists note the silky, ornamental shimmer. The seed biology fills out the picture, and the growers of the dryland ornamental grasses keep the species in their catalogues.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the dry, sunny garden, the needle grass silks the border with the silver in the summer. The silky awns catch the light and the wind, giving the soft, moving shimmer, the tidy tufts hold the form through the season, and the plant feeds the grazing animals on the steppes. It grows well in the light, well-drained, sunny ground. Airy, silvery and drought-hardy.
To grow the Needle Grass from seed,Sow the seeds into the gritty, sandy drills of the open ground, then cover them lightly, keep the drills moist, and the seedlings rise within a few weeks
Keep the drills gently watered, and thin the seedlings for the tidy tufts. The silky awns shimmer by the midsummer.
. Plant the young tufts in the sunny, light ground, and the silky awns will silk the summer over the years.
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Stipa is a ‘must have’ for many garden designers. When a swathe of grass is called for, Stipa is drafted in with its feathery heads, adding movement and texture as they undulate in the wind. The silvery-white flower panicles make this grass a very attractive addition to the landscape.
\n\n\n\nStipa capillata ‘Bridal Veil’ is one of the prettiest perennial grasses. Forming a dense, glossy green clump of foliage they bloom in summer with beautiful upright plumes. The hair-like awns are at first clear green, and as they mature they turn a beautiful silvery-white.
\nThe plants are easy to grow in moderately fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. They can be used in borders or in meadows, used as ground covers, on slopes and for natural recovery. They can be planted as single isolated specimens or amongst perennials, in small groups, or in swathes.
Ornamental grasses are easy to maintain and the rewards are great when grasses grace your landscape, adding colour, texture, and movement. Backlighting grasses is another excellent way to wake up the landscape.
\nThe awns can be cut and dried when first opened for use in winter arrangements indoors. Alternatively they make a useful winter food source for finches and other seed-eating birds.
70cm height. Sow directly into open ground any time of year.
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