Argentine Needle-Grass

Nassella tenuissima (Poaceae) is a fine-textured, clumping ornamental grass native to Texas, New Mexico, Mexico, and Argentina. It grows 1 to 2 feet tall and wide, forming dense tufts of very fine, light green leaves that arch gracefully. Silvery-yellow inflorescences appear in summer to fall, creating a soft, flowing effect. Foliage turns light brown in winter.

Mexican feather grass thrives in full sun to part shade across a wide range of soils (clay, loam, sand, rocky) and drainage conditions. It tolerates deer, drought, erosion, and poor soils. Caution: the species self-seeds prolifically and is documented as invasive in parts of California and Australia. It can go dormant during severe summer drought. Hardy in Zones 7a to 10b.