Arizona beargrass

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade, especially in hot inland gardens.

Water

Low once established. Water young plants during dry spells; established plants usually need supplementary water only during prolonged drought.

Soil

Sharply drained sandy, gravelly or rocky soil. Tolerates poor soil, but dislikes heavy clay and persistent winter wet.

Height

3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) in leaf; flower stalks can reach 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m)

Spread

4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m)

Flowers

Late spring to summer; small creamy-white flowers in tall, branched sprays. Mature plants may not flower every year.

Foliage

Evergreen. Long, narrow, leathery green leaves with finely toothed edges, arching from dense basal rosettes. Older leaves turn tan and can remain around the base.

Growth

Slow to moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.6 ft (0.49 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.2 ft (0.68 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.9 ft (0.88 m)

5. After 5 years

   3 ft (1.1 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant in spring in colder regions, keeping the crown at its original soil level.
• Water deeply during establishment, then let the soil dry before watering again.
• Use gravel mulch around the crown rather than moisture-retaining organic mulch.
• Avoid routine feeding; rich soil and frequent watering are unnecessary.
• Allow room for the mature clump, and keep its sharp-edged leaves away from narrow paths.
• In cool, wet climates, use a raised bed or slope with excellent winter drainage.

Pruning. In spring, remove damaged or completely dead leaves individually, wearing gloves and long sleeves; do not shear the whole clump. Cut spent flower stalks close to the base when they have dried, unless you want seed.

Spring

Plant into warming, well-drained soil and water thoroughly.

Spring

Remove winter-damaged leaves and check that mulch has not buried the crown.

Late spring

Watch for emerging flower stalks and keep nearby plants from crowding them.

Summer

Water newly planted clumps during dry weather; let established plants dry between occasional deep waterings.

Late summer

Collect ripe seed as the dry capsules begin to open, or remove dried flower stalks.

Autumn

Clear fallen leaves from the crown and check drainage before winter rain.

• Use as a fountain-shaped focal plant in a gravel garden with boulders and low succulents.
• Repeat loose groups along a sunny slope for erosion-resistant planting once established.
• Pair with upright yuccas and rounded cacti to contrast leaf shapes in a dry garden.
• Set behind low flowering perennials, allowing space for its arching leaves and tall flower stalks.

Garden styles it suits: Desert modern, Southwestern, Desert / xeriscape, Dry gravel garden, Architectural minimal and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Red yucca, Banana yucca, Parry's agave, Blue grama, Firecracker penstemon and Desert marigold.

Wildlife: Flowers attract bees and other insects. Dense foliage provides shelter for small animals.

• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, keep the crown exposed and stop frequent irrigation; badly rotted plants may need replacing.
• Winter leaf damage in exposed or cold sites: choose a sheltered, sunny position and remove dead foliage in spring.
• Scale insects on leaves: inspect dense clumps and remove small infestations by hand; use a labelled horticultural oil if needed, avoiding hot sunshine.
• Poor flowering: young plants and shaded plants may flower little; provide full sun and allow time for the clump to mature rather than adding fertiliser.

Flowers and developing fruits can poison livestock, particularly sheep and goats, causing liver injury and photosensitivity. Toxicity to horses, cats, dogs and people is not well documented for this species; keep grazing animals away and do not eat it. The finely toothed leaf edges can cut skin and mouths.

• Texas beargrass (Nolina texana)

  Usually smaller, with narrower leaves and shorter flower clusters that often remain within or only slightly above the foliage; Arizona beargrass typically carries its flowers well above the leaves.

• Common sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri)

  Has stiffer, usually blue-grey leaves with conspicuous hooked teeth and spoon-shaped leaf bases; Arizona beargrass has greener, more flexible leaves with much finer teeth.

• Beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax)

  A plant of cooler mountain habitats, with a dense, rounded or tapered cluster of white flowers at the stalk tip rather than the open, branched flower sprays of Arizona beargrass.

Nolina honours the French horticulturist Pierre Charles Nolin, while microcarpa means small-fruited.

Propagation. Grow from ripe seed sown in a freely draining mix with warmth. Rooted offsets can sometimes be separated in spring, but established clumps are tough to divide and slow to recover.

Accepted botanical name

Nolina microcarpa

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Arizona, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest and New Mexico.

Measured

Soil pH 6.5 to 9.5.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.