Stipa pennata

Stipa pennata is a grass that bears silvery spikes of seeds that float in the wind.

This small grass reaches a height of 40cm (16in). Blooming from June onwards, the green-brown spikes give way to spectacular seeds in August. They are equipped with a long silky thread, 30cm (12in) in length, which lights up at the slightest ray of sunlight. These highly sculptural threads float in the wind.

Very hardy, Stipa pennata grows in any poor, calcareous and well-drained soil. It loves the sun and tolerates drying winds very well.

Plant it along the edge of a patio or in a pot with sedum, Erigeron karvinskianus, and penstemons.