This store requires javascript to be enabled for some features to work correctly.

HOME

PLANTS

Cacti & Succulents
Indoor Plants
- All Plants
- Philodendron
- Calathea
- Sansevieria
- Peperomia
- Hoya
- Ferns
- Carnivorous Plants
Outdoor Plants
- All
- Shrubs
- Acer®
- Alstroemeria®
- Hydrangeas®
- Tropical Plants
- Fruit Snacks®
- Grasses®
- Climbing Plants
- Conifers
New varieties
Roses
Baby Plants
Mystery Box®

PLANT FINDER

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

HYDROCULTURE

GARDENING

Pots and Planters

PLANT CARE

Soil Guide
Aroid Care
Orchid Care
Bonsai Care
Substrates
Fertilizers
Plant Protection
Accessories
Ars©
Terrarium Scenes®
- TERRARIUM ACCESSORIES

GIFT CARD

BLOG

HOME
PLANTS
- Cacti & Succulents
- Indoor Plants
  - All Plants
  - Philodendron
  - Calathea
  - Sansevieria
  - Peperomia
  - Hoya
  - Ferns
  - Carnivorous Plants
- Outdoor Plants
  - All
  - Shrubs
  - Acer®
  - Alstroemeria®
  - Hydrangeas®
  - Tropical Plants
  - Fruit Snacks®
  - Grasses®
  - Climbing Plants
  - Conifers
- New varieties
- Roses
- Baby Plants
- Mystery Box®
PLANT FINDER
- Indoor Plants
- Outdoor Plants
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
HYDROCULTURE
GARDENING
- Shop all gardening
- Lawns
  - Grass seed
  - Rolled turf
Pots and Planters
- Globee®
- Mica® Pots
- Capi® Pots
- Pots
- Lechuza
- Orchid Pots
- Terraneo
- Plantopia Baskets
PLANT CARE
GIFT CARD
BLOG

Stipa 'ponytails' 17cm

Name: Stipa 'ponytails' 17cm
Brand: Greenleaf Garden Center
SKU: Stipaponytails17cm
Price: 8.2 EUR
Availability: OutOfStock

€10,00

€8,20

Quantity

Dispatched within 1–3 business days · Carefully packed

Fine-leaved perennial grass · Poaceae · dense flowing tussock

Stipa tenuissima Pony Tails

It only needs sun, wind and… for you to leave it alone 🙃

Family: Poaceae · Pot diameter: 17cm · Height: about 45cm

Hair-fine foliage
40–70cm in flower
Green to wheat-blonde
Prolific self-seeding

Stipa tenuissima Pony Tails is an exceptionally fine-leaved tussock that draws the wind rather than hiding it, even within a crisp contemporary composition. Hundreds of threadlike green blades rise from one crown and bend together as a soft wave. Airy inflorescences emerge green, catch a silver sheen and mature to warm wheat-blonde, giving every composition natural motion and light.

It commonly forms a tussock about 40–70cm high in flower and 30–50cm across, retaining green foliage or behaving as semi-evergreen where winters are mild. Its elegance comes with highly effective seed production and dispersal; in a Mediterranean climate it needs a controlled site, removal of every panicle before seed ripens and repeated monitoring around the planting for years.

Pony Tails is sold as a seed designation rather than as a single clone, so individual plants may vary naturally.

What makes it special

A dense basal tussock of hair-fine blades and long slender inflorescences that move as one wave.

Almost hair-fine blades

Very narrow leaves create a silky texture without heavy volume.

Movement in a faint breeze

Fine culms and long awns bend together while the basal tussock remains visible.

Green to wheat-blonde

Young panicles are green, then catch silver and gold as they mature.

Why you will love it: it softens stone, gravel and strict lines with a continuous wave of light and movement.

In the garden & on the balconyPlacement & plant combinationsControlled urban site · full sun · mature spread 30–50cm

Planting position

Movement under control

Use only in a controlled urban planting or pot, away from roads, coasts, streams and natural grassland. Allow about 40–50cm between tussocks and maintain access all around so every panicle can be cut before seed sets.

Colour & compatibility

Wheat with violet

Silver-green and wheat-blonde threads gain depth beside compact violet flowers and grey-green foliage.

Lavandula angustifolia — compact aromatic grey-green beneath the airy wave.
Salvia nemorosa — upright violet spires against the slender curves.
Achillea millefolium — flat flower heads sharing its preference for sun and drainage.

Care at a glance

Light

Full sun for a dense tussock, upright inflorescences and clear wheat-blonde colour.

Watering

Water until rooted, then deeply and infrequently; persistent moisture shortens its life.

Climate & hardiness

Roughly RHS H4 and often semi-evergreen in mild winters, but vulnerable to heavy winter wet.

Safety

Not intended for consumption; sharp awns can lodge in fur and mechanically irritate eyes, skin or paws.

Detailed careComplete care guideEight practical points: Position, Watering, Soil, Feeding, Renewal, Seed control, Monitoring, Safety.

Position

Choose full sun in a strictly controlled setting, away from roadsides and natural vegetation.

Watering

Water through the first season; once rooted, allow soil to dry between deep soakings.

Soil

Poor to moderately fertile, sandy or gravelly and freely drained, with no water around the crown.

Feeding

Avoid rich nitrogen feeding, which produces soft growth and more unwanted seed.

Renewal

Comb dead foliage out with gloves in late winter; cut lower only if the tussock has collapsed.

Seed control

Cut every panicle while still green, seal it in a bag and keep mature material out of soil and compost.

Monitoring

Inspect the surrounding area repeatedly and remove seedlings before they root deeply or flower.

Safety

Wear gloves and keep mature inflorescences away from children's and animals' routes because of the awns.

Development over timeFrom green thread to wheatThree stages from cool-season basal growth to silky panicles and winter retention.

Green tussock

Hair-fine blades renew densely from the crown in cool conditions.

Silver wave

Slender flowering culms lift green panicles that glint in the light.

Wheat-blonde ripening

Awns lengthen, panicles turn blonde and must be removed before seed disperses.

Mature habit & dimensions

established mature plant

Height 40–70cmSpread 30–50cmDense fine-leaved tussock

Mature Nassella tenuissima Pony Tails forms a dense basal tussock with separate hair-fine blades and slender flowering culms ending in long awned panicles. The side elevation conveys fluid movement without hiding the crown.

Form through time

two real states

Cool green growthSilver to wheat-blonde panicles

Green renewalNew hair-fine blades fill the crown.

Panicles before seedInflorescences are cut before they ripen fully and turn blonde.

The drawings show a young basal tussock and mature awned panicles before their required removal.

What to expect after planting: The tussock retains its fine basal mass, lifts an airy veil of inflorescences and turns blonde as it ripens. Timely panicle removal is part of its annual cycle, not optional cosmetic trimming.

History & originCultivar originTrinius 1836 · Barkworth 1990 · Pony Tails as a seed designation

In 1836, Carl Bernhard von Trinius published the species as Stipa tenuissima. Its wild range extends from the south-central United States and Mexico to parts of Argentina, in open dry habitats where its fine panicles disperse seed efficiently.

In 1990, Mary Barkworth transferred it to Nassella, creating the name Nassella tenuissima used by current taxonomy. The older Stipa tenuissima remained deeply established in European horticulture.

Pony Tails became a seed-market designation for material sold as loose seed or in multi-seed pellets. It is not a documented single clone and has no stated breeder, parents, selection date or registered plant-variety right.

Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScience nobody asked forBotanical details for anyone curious about what lies behind the plant’s appearance

Blades like threads

Leaves are exceptionally narrow and often inrolled, reducing their exposed surface.

A moisture-driven awn

The long twisted awn responds to humidity changes and helps the fruit lodge in soil or fur.

Persistent seed bank

High output of small mobile fruits can build a seed reserve that needs monitoring for years.

Frequently asked questions

Six specific answers about the name, form, seed, placement and safe management of Pony Tails.

01Is Pony Tails a clonal cultivar?

Not on documented evidence. It is marketed as a seed designation, not a single clone with a published pedigree.

02What is the correct botanical name?

The accepted name is Nassella tenuissima. Stipa tenuissima is an older, still widespread synonym.

03How large does it become?

Allow about 40–70cm in flower and 30–50cm in spread, varying with age, water and fertility.

04Why does it need control?

EPPO highlights a risk of establishment in the Mediterranean. It produces abundant seed moved by wind, water, vehicles and animals, and can establish beyond the planting.

05How do I limit self-seeding?

Cut and seal every panicle before it turns blonde or releases seed, then inspect around the plant repeatedly.

06Is it safe beside pets?

There is insufficient evidence for an absolute safety claim. In addition, sharp awns are a mechanical hazard to eyes, skin and paws, so avoid animal routes.

Cart (0)

Stipa 'ponytails' 17cm

Stipa 'ponytails' 17cm

Stipa tenuissima Pony Tails

What makes it special

Almost hair-fine blades

Movement in a faint breeze

Green to wheat-blonde

Movement under control

Wheat with violet

Care at a glance

Light

Watering

Climate & hardiness

Safety

Position

Watering

Soil

Feeding

Renewal

Seed control

Monitoring

Safety

Green tussock

Silver wave

Wheat-blonde ripening

Mature habit & dimensions

Form through time

Blades like threads

A moisture-driven awn

Persistent seed bank

Frequently asked questions

Stipa 'ponytails' 17cm — Care & Tips

We take care of the packaging!

With specially designed boxes, we ensure that the plants will reach you intact, no matter what they encounter on the way!

All plants in 3L pots or larger are placed in individual boxes that secure the plant at the base of the pot, preventing it from tipping over.

The cardboard used for the boxes is specially made to provide resistance to potential impacts during transport.

Recently Viewed