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Stipa cernua
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Nodding Needle Grass
( Stipa cernua )
Stipa cernua
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
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33 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Nodding Needle Grass (Stipa cernua)
33 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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Nodding Needle Grass is a native grass that grows in many parts of California, primarily in the Coast Ranges from Tehama County southward at elevations from sea level to 5,000 ft. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 3 feet, with active growth during the spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. There have been some taxonomic changes related to this genus (Needlegrass) over the years, and some sources may refer to it as Nasella. The Stipas generally have been a major component of California's native grasslands. In the garden it is best used in small patches between chaparral or sage scrub species and mixed with various perennial herbs and annuals.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Grass
Size
1.7 - 3.3 ft tall
2 ft wide
Form
Fountain
Growth Rate
Fast
Dormancy
Winter Deciduous
Fragrance
None
Flower Color
Brown, Cream, Purple
Flowering Season
Spring, Summer
Wildlife Supported
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
*
Juba Skipper
Hesperia juba
Hesperia juba
*
Common Ringlet
Coenonympha tullia
Coenonympha tullia
*
Nevada Skipper
Hesperia nevada
Hesperia nevada
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade
Moisture
Very Low
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established
Nurseries
Carried by 33
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 15° F
Soil Drainage
Medium
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0
Common uses
Groundcovers, Deer Resistant
Companion Plants
Use in the spaces between any chaparral shrubs or subshrubs, along with
Milkweed
(
Asclepias sp.
),
California Thistle
(
Cirsium occidentale
),
Clarkia sp.
, Larkspur (
Delphinium sp.
),
Lupine
(
Lupinus sp.
), Beardtongue (
Penstemon sp.
),
Phacelia sp.
, and with various geophytes such as native onions (
Allium sp.
),
Mariposa Lily
(
Calochortus sp.
),
Blue Dicks
(Dichelostemma capitatum), and many others
Maintenance
It is important to keep non-native weeds from invading areas of Needlegrass
Propagation
?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.
Sunset Zones
?
7*, 8, 9, 11, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*
Natural Setting
Site Type
Grasslands and openings in coastal sage scrub, chaparral or woodlands in coastal foothills and valleys
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 6.0" - 58.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.54", Coldest Month: 34.6" - 57.4", Hottest Month: 61.9" - 80.5", Humidity: 0.34" - 28.68", Elevation: -21" - 5934"
Alternative Names
Botanical Names
: Nassella cernua
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Nodding Needle Grass
Stipa cernua
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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