New Mexico Feather Grass is More Awesome

Drought tolerant and thriving in adverse conditions, Hesperostipa neomexicanais is a tough one.
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What I love about this native perennial grass is how it reproduces.
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The long feathery tuffs helicopter the seed shafts away from the plant.
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When they settle, the sharp awn point drill into the ground.
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It’s good forage for deer and was used by the Hopi as necklaces in ceremony.
[Colton, Harold S. 1974 Hopi History And Ethnobotany. IN D. A. Horr (ed.) Hopi Indians. Garland: New York. (p. 367)] IMG_5567
 

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