Field ManualAll plants

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, via Wikimedia CommonsLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0

Mexican Feather Grass

Nassella tenuissima

  • Fine-Textured Accent Grass
  • Weedy/Prolific Self-Seeder
  • Invasive Outside Native Range

Pet & Human Safety

People: Not researchedPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

People: not researched yet.

Toxic to pets
No ASPCA entry found.

No toxicity claim found from either ASPCA or NC State Extension for this species. The more significant flag here is horticultural, not toxicological: see the invasive-status note below above. A more mechanical, non-toxicity caution worth passing along regardless of pet species: the seed heads' stiff, sharp awns can work into skin, fur, eyes, and ears the way foxtail grass awns famously do for dogs, though that specific claim is not confirmed for this species by name: flagged as a general awned-grass caution, not a sourced fact about this species specifically.

PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones

Not checked yet

Mature size

1-2 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide (NC State Extension).

Family

Poaceae (grass family)

Where it comes from

New Mexico, Texas, Mexico, and Argentina (NC State Extension): notably not including Florida.

Soil & Drainage
Pruning & Flush Rhythm
Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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Anatomy & Guilds

Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics

How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.

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Field Doctor

Field Doctor

What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.

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Vintage Plates

Vintage Plates

Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.

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Sources

  1. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Nassella tenuissima (includes weediness/invasive-elsewhere note)
  2. ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: no page found under "mexican-feather-grass"

How we choose sources

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