European feather grass
Stipa pennata
Stipa pennata, commonly known as European feather grass, is a flowering plant and arid zone sand grass in the grass family Poaceae, which is grown as an ornamental plant for its feathery flowering spikes. It is one of the most common plants of the Eurasian Steppe from Mongolia in the east to the Puszta in Hungary and the Devínska Kobyla forest-steppe in Slovakia in the west.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stipa_pennata
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Genus
Stipa
European feather grass belongs to the family Poaceae, order Poales, within the Liliopsida class.
Species Profile
Stipa pennata, commonly known as European feather grass, is a flowering plant and arid zone sand grass in the grass family Poaceae, which is grown as an ornamental plant for its feathery flowering spikes. It is one of the most common plants of the Eurasian Steppe from Mongolia in the east to the Puszta in Hungary and the Devínska Kobyla forest-steppe in Slovakia in the west. Its foliage is green in summer while the flowers are silvery-grey during the same season. It is 60–90 centimetres (24–35 in) high.
European feather grass (Stipa pennata) faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development across its native grassland ecosystems. The conversion of natural steppes and dry grasslands to cropland, combined with changes in traditional grazing practices, has fragmented and eliminated much of its suitable habitat. Climate change and invasive species further threaten remaining populations of this iconic grass species.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
European feather grass (Stipa pennata) faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development across its native grassland ecosystems. The conversion of natural steppes and dry grasslands to cropland, combined with changes in traditional grazing practices, has fragmented and eliminated much of its suitable habitat. Climate change and invasive species further threaten remaining populations of this iconic grass species.
Agricultural intensification and conversion of grasslands
Habitat fragmentation
Loss of traditional extensive grazing practices
Urban development and infrastructure expansion
Climate change impacts on steppe ecosystems
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). European feather grass (Stipa pennata). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/european-feather-grass