Description
A very tall grass up to 2.5m high with arching stems of oat like flowerheads over slender dusty green leaves. Stipa gigantea is early flowering and shoots off at the end of spring, the earliest of the tall grasses.
Best planted on it’s own with some space around it to appreciate it’s size. Looks great repeated at intervals among other planting to tie and area together with a common focus point.
Goes well with:
Flowers - Allium cristophii (ornamnetal onion), Helenium Moerheim Beauty (autumn daisy), Sanguisorba officinalis ‘Red Buttons’ (burnet)
Grasses - Pennisetum orientale ‘Tall Tails’ (fountain grass)
Care of Stipa gigantea
Leaves have sharp edges and can cause cuts so wear gloves when carrying out maintenance. Every spring, comb though the plant and remove any dead or damaged foliage.
Wildlife benefits
Provides winter shelter for pollinating insects like bees, ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings and their larvae
Height and spread - 2.5m Height, 1.2m Spread
Common name -0 Golden Oates
Position in the garden - Full sun
Soil Type - Moderately fertile, medium to light, well drained
Flowering period - June to July
Hardiness - Fully hardy