About
Cortaderia selloana 'White Feather' is a robust, clump-forming perennial grass that reaches heights of approximately 3 meters. It features evergreen, arching leaves that are sharply serrated and exhibit a blue-green hue, measuring around 2.5 meters in length. In late summer and early autumn, tall stems emerge, showcasing large panicles of white spikelets that can grow up to 90 centimeters long.
About the genus
Cortaderia consists of sturdy evergreen grasses that develop sizable, compact clumps of narrow, rough-textured leaves. These grasses produce upright stems topped with dense flower panicles that range from silvery to pink hues, making them ideal for drying purposes.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Grass Like
- Habit
- Clump forming, Tufted
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 2.5-4 metres
- Spread
- 2.5-4 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile, deep, well-drained soil in full sun, and cover with a deep dry mulch to protect plants from frost in their first winter. Choose planting position carefully, these large plants need plenty of space and have sharp leaf edges. See ornamental grasses cultivation
- Pruning
- Cut and comb out the last year's flower stems and dead leaves in late winter or early spring; wear stout gloves as protection from the sharp leaf edges
- Propagation
- Propagate by division in late spring
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free