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Desert Stipa
Stipa speciosa
  
About Desert Stipa (Stipa speciosa) 4 Nurseries Carry This Plant Achnatherum speciosum is a species of grass known by the common name desert needlegrass. It is native to much of the south-western United States from California to Colorado, where it grows in dry areas, especially sagebrush habitat. It is also known from Mexico and parts of South America. This is a short bunching perennial grass reaching a maximum height of 1-2 feet The leaf blades are less than a millimeter wide and rolled along the edges. The bases are stiff and remain as the dense grass clump dries. The flower cluster is up to about 2 inches long and is dense and fluffy. Each spikelet is very hairy and has a bent awn up to about a centimeter long which is coated in long hairs. The stiff awn and the sharp tip of the spikelet make the seeds hazardous for animals. The hairs on the seed help in catch in animal coats and drift on the wind for dispersal. The awn also twists when wet, helping the seed bury itself in the soil.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Grasses

Size
Size
1 - 2 ft tall
4 - 8 in wide

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Flower Color
Flower Color
Brown

Wildlife Supported
 


 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Nurseries
Nurseries

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Soil PH: 5.1 - 8.3

Common uses
Common uses
Deer Resistant

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 2*, 3*, 7*, 8, 9, 10*, 11, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19, 20, 21, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Rocky slopes, washes

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.2" - 41.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.20" - 3.08", Coldest Month: 27.2" - 57.7", Hottest Month: 56.3" - 87.8", Humidity: 0.92" - 41.29", Elevation: 489" - 8111"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Desert Needlegrass


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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