Golden oats
Stipa gigantea
Also called Giant feather grass and Giant oat
Garden plant · GrassesA low tussock that throws two metres of flower stem, so you plant it at the front and look THROUGH it. Divide every few years or it dies out in the middle.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 12 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Not needed
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Hardy — an average winter RHS H4, to -10°C
- Size
- 2 m tall · 0.75 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Spain, Portugal and north Africa
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-11. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.