Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Mexican Feather Grass bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called mexican feather grass, silky thread grass, angel hair grass (Nassella tenuissima).

More about mexican feather grass

About Mexican Feather Grass

Nassella tenuissima · also called mexican feather grass, silky thread grass · flowering

A fine-textured ornamental grass forming soft, flowing mounds of hair-thin green blades that ripple in the slightest breeze. Feathery silvery-green flower heads emerge in early summer, ageing to wheaten blonde. Drought-tolerant, sun-loving and graceful, it softens borders, gravel gardens and containers — though it self-seeds prolifically and is invasive in some regions.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aggressive self-seeding / invasiveness: Seeds prolifically and is invasive or restricted in parts of California, Australia and elsewhere. Cut off flower heads before seed sets and check local guidance before planting.

The reasons mexican feather grass isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming mexican feather grass traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding mexican feather grass a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get mexican feather grass to flower

Maximise sun. Give mexican feather grass the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for mexican feather grass and get the feeding right with the mexican feather grass fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Mexican Feather Grass flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full mexican feather grass care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Mexican Feather Grass blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my mexican feather grass flower?

Mexican Feather Grass blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make mexican feather grass bloom?

Give mexican feather grass the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does mexican feather grass normally bloom?