Stipa
Stipa is a flower in the Poaceae family. It grows best in full sun with dry moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 7-10. Plants reach maturity about 98–105 days after planting and sit about 12 inches apart.
Varieties
1 from True Leaf Market · sorted by days to maturity▸Pony Tails98–105 days
Non-GMO; Annual
98-105 Days to maturity. Nassella tenuissima (syn. Stipa tenuissima). Pony Tails Grass Stipa Seeds. Non-GMO, Annual or Perennial. Open Pollinated. Ornamental. Pony Tails Stipa seeds grow one of the most versatile ornamental plants available. Stipa can just as easily be grown indoors as it can be out in the garden. Pony Tails seeds deliver 36 inches tall feathered mounds of grass with a dense spread, ideal for large planters or garden boxes. Stipa (Nassella) is native to the hottest and arid regions throughout North and South America. 100 Seed Packet.
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Plant spacing
In a square-foot bed, space stipa about 12 in apart — that fits 1 plant in each 1-foot square (1×1). Wider rows or containers space the same.
Plan your stipa planting
Add stipa to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations
Something looks wrong?
Describe what you see on your stipaand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.
Corn earworm
Pestmoderate- CulturalPlant early and choose tight-husk varietiesstrong evidence — extension confidence
Set out early plantings, which face lower earworm pressure, and choose tight-husked varieties whose long, snug husk slows larvae from reaching the ear.
- OrganicApply oil-Bt drops to silksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
About five to six days after silks emerge, apply a few drops of vegetable or mineral oil (mixed with a labeled Bt per the label) to the silk at each ear tip to smother young caterpillars in the silk channel.
Japanese beetles
Pestmoderate- CulturalHandpick into soapy water· every 1 days · ~4 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
In early morning when beetles are sluggish, knock them into a bucket of soapy water; daily removal also reduces the scent that draws in more beetles. Skip the lure traps, which tend to attract more beetles than they catch.
- CulturalCover plants past bloommoderate evidence — extension confidence
On crops that have finished flowering and set fruit, drape a row cover or netting to keep beetles off without blocking pollination during bloom.
Phosphorus deficiency
DeficiencymoderateUnusual this time of year.
- CulturalCheck soil test and soil temperaturestrong evidence — extension confidence
Purpling in cold spring soils is often temporary, since cold roots can't take up phosphorus that's actually present; warm weather usually resolves it, so confirm a true shortage with a soil test before adding phosphorus.
- OrganicAdd phosphorus only if the test calls for itmoderate evidence — extension confidence
If low phosphorus is confirmed, work a phosphorus source into the root zone per the test recommendation, and keep soil pH in range since extreme pH ties up phosphorus.
Wireworms
PestmoderateUnusual this time of year.
- CulturalRotate away from grassy groundstrong evidence — extension confidence
Avoid planting susceptible crops right after sod, pasture, or grass cover, where wireworms build up; rotate to a less-favored crop and let infested beds dry out between plantings.
- CulturalBait-trap to monitor· every 5 days · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Bury pieces of carrot or potato or a handful of soaked wheat seed as bait when soil reaches about 50F, check after several days, and remove the worms you find to gauge and reduce pressure.
Aphids
Pestlow- CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.
- OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.
Common corn smut
Diseaselow- CulturalCut out galls before they open· every 1 wkstrong evidence — extension confidence
Watch through the season and cut out smut galls while still firm and white, before they rupture into black spores; remove them from the garden and bury or trash them rather than composting.
- CulturalClean up debris and ease off nitrogenmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Remove crop debris after harvest rather than tilling it under, and avoid excess nitrogen and plant wounding, both of which favor smut.