feather grass

noun

1. any American grass of the genus Stipa, having a feathery appendage.

feather grass

noun

1. a perennial grass, Stipa pennata, native to the steppes of Europe and N Asia, cultivated as an ornament for its feathery inflorescence

Word History and Origins

Origin of feather grass¹

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

Roomy garden placement, say at 11 and 3, ensures that the two specimen performers, the manzanita and the giant feather grass, won’t upstage one another.

From Seattle Times

Balancing our composition, the flowering stems of giant feather grass introduce airiness and movement to the summer garden.

From Seattle Times

Giant feather grass is not fussy about soil and, once established, doesn’t require any supplemental water during summer dry months.

From Seattle Times

Over the last two decades in Paris, the winter temperatures have risen, allowing him to cultivate, say, Mexican feather grass sooner than he could have in the past.

From New York Times

Nassella tenuissima, or Mexican feather grass, grows low, finely tufted green ponytails that flower into fluffy flaxen strands of 2 feet.

From Wall Street Journal