Stipa gigantea

Robust tufted evergreen grass of arching deep green linear foliage, and large panicles of oat-like, long-awned purplish flowers emerge in summer, which ripen to gold. When mature, these splay apart to make a wide fountain shape that almost hides the plant. The seed-heads dry out naturally on the plant and persist into early winter, where they make a good architectural feature, especially when outlined in frost. It is found growing wild in Spain and Portugal. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it their Award of Garden Merit (AGM). Hardy.