Anemanthele lessoniana

Also Known As

Stipa arundinacea
Stipa lessoniana
New Zealand Wind Grass
Pheasant Grass
Pheasant's Tail Grass

Plant type

perennial, grass / grass like

size

H: 2'-3'
W: 2'-3'

planting zones

8a-10b

More Options

Anemanthele lessoniana plant details

Anemanthele lessoniana is an evergreen perennial grass (or grassy in appearance) with bronze, chocolate, gold and green foliage. In fall and summer chocolate flowers emerge. Features grassy texture. Grows well with sun - dappled shade and regular - occasional water. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in average, gritty, rich and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something seaside / salt tolerant and verticillium wilt resistant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Anemanthele lessoniana

Plant type: perennial grass (or grassy in appearance)
Plant family: poaceae
Foliage: evergreen bronze, chocolate, gold and green
Mature size: 2 FT - 3 FT - wide, 2 FT - 3 FT - tall
Flowers: chocolate blooms in fall and summer
Uses: border plant, container plant, fall color, rock garden

GROWING CONDITIONS for Anemanthele lessoniana

USDA Zones: 8a - 10b
Sun exposure: sun - dappled shade
Watering frequency: regular - occasional
Resistant to: deer and rabbit, seaside / salt and verticillium wilt
Soil needs: average, gritty, rich and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Always-colorful, from orange to olive, amber and gold, the slender arching foliage of this 3' x 3' clumper makes a fast-growing, long-lived focal point just about anywhere!; cut back to 12" in spring. S/M-D

By: Forestfarm

Also known as Pheasant's Tail Grass, and it used to be listed under the genus Anemanthele lessoniana. New Zealand Wind Grass is grown for its golden copper foliage that takes on fiery orange tones when temperatures cool. Fast growing, it grows 2-3' tall and can form sizable clumps where it is winter hardy. A very useful fall container accent in colder zones.

By: Avant Gardens

Airy, feathery, blonde seed heads are borne in July from olive-green narrow leaves. Handsome orange hues infiltrate the clump throughout summer and become dominant in late autumn and into winter. This is a 3' tall x 2' wide clumping grass that maintains a vase shape. This one is perfect for coloring up your grass garden-the more sun, the more color. Minimum temperature: 0°F

By: Dancing Oaks Nursery

Like a fountain, the green, bronze and golden narrow blades are upright and arching. Slightly dry soils will intensify the copper tones of this graceful, clumping evergreen Stipa. While grown mostly for its delightful form and color, the subtle inflorescences appear as a fine mist, tinged with small purple and golden seed capsules known as awns.

By: Digging Dog Nursery

Loved by garden designers & so popular on the West Coast, this is THE GRASS to know & grow in USDA Zones 8-10. Fast growing to form a dense 3’x3’ always-glowing focal point, you’ll admire its gorgeous, slender & arching olive, amber & gold foliage. Carefree & long lived, its great just about anywhere you plant it - foreground, background, anywhere you desire a low maintenance textural subject. A wonderful sight massed on a hillside, it can be grown in large containers too. Not fussy about soil & if you cut it back to about 8-12” in Winter it’ll stay picture perfect every year.

By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

A handsome evergreen grass that features clumping stems to 4' tall with short, slowly creeping rhizomes. The dark green leaves become streaked with orange-bronze or pale brown when stressed, and the purple tinged flower heads form in summer on feathery stems. Tolerant of full sun, but richer and more reliable with some shade, this species is best in rich soil that does not dry out. Provide regular garden water. Hardy to 10F. New Zealand.

By: Native Sons

Cool evergreen Australian grass that turns a glowing orange in the winter, fading to a orangish-spring green in summer. Full to half sun with occasional water. This grass is all about texture and highlighting the garden with warm earthy tones. Think backlit by the sun or spilling out near a sidewalk edge. Cold hardy to 5 °F, mid USDA zone 7.

By: Cistus Nursery

Pheasant Tail Grass. Stunning evergreen grass from New Zealand with black/green leaves in spring and summer which become tinted in reds and oranges in fall and through the winter. A little dryness in late summer intensifies this coloring. Cut back hard after a cold winter.