How to Grow Pheasant's Tail Grass
Anemanthele lessoniana
Pheasant's Tail Grass is one of the most widely used ornamental grasses in contemporary UK planting. Its arching bronze-green leaves turn spectacular shades of copper, orange, and red in autumn and winter, and remain evergreen year-round. Hardy to -10C, it tolerates shade better than almost any other ornamental grass. Plant in spring or autumn in any reasonable soil. Minimal maintenance — comb out dead leaves in spring rather than cutting back hard. Excellent in borders, containers, and naturalistic plantings.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Rarely needed. A light compost mulch in spring is sufficient. Avoid rich feeding which produces floppy growth and reduces autumn colour.
Watch For
- Rust in humid conditions
- Slugs on young shoots in spring
Companions
Salvia, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Achillea
Care Requirements
Light
Full sun to partial shade
One of the few ornamental grasses that performs well in partial shade. Autumn colour is best in sun, but the plant grows and flowers well in shadier spots.
Watering
Drought-tolerant once established
Tolerates a wide range of soil moisture. Once established, copes well with dry periods. Avoid waterlogged soils.
Fertilizing
Minimal feeding needed
A light compost mulch in spring is all that is needed. Avoid rich feeding which produces floppy stems and mutes the autumn colour.
Pruning
Comb in spring, do not cut hard
Run fingers or a rake through the clump in spring to remove dead leaves. Hard cutting back damages the evergreen crown.
Growing Tips
Comb rather than cut
In spring, run your fingers or a wide-toothed rake through the clump to remove dead leaves. Hard cutting back damages the evergreen crown. Only remove truly dead material.
Autumn colour is the highlight
The leaves intensify to copper, orange, and red from September onwards. Plant where afternoon or low winter sun can backlight the foliage for maximum effect.
Shade tolerant
Unlike most ornamental grasses, Pheasant's Tail Grass flowers and colours well even in partial shade. Excellent under trees or on north-facing slopes.
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 75 cm |
| Row spacing | 75 cm |
| Mature height | 100 cm |
| Mature spread | 75 cm |
Evergreen ornamental grass forming graceful arching mounds. Space 75 cm apart to allow the full arching form to develop. One of the most versatile grasses for modern planting schemes.
