San Diego County needle grass
Stipa diegoensis
Last reviewed: August 2026
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
12"–24" H × 12"–18" W
Bloom
Mar, Apr, May
Native to
CA
Pollinators
wind-pollinated
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaA fine-textured, clumping needlegrass with slender green blades that form a neat rounded tuft and produce airy, awned seed heads in spring. It grows in open scrub and grassland on dry soils.
Wildlife value
Seeds feed small birds, and the bunchgrass form provides shelter for ground-nesting native bees.
Common questions
- How much sun does San Diego County needle grass need?
- San Diego County needle grass grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does San Diego County needle grass bloom?
- San Diego County needle grass blooms in March, April, and May.
- Where is San Diego County needle grass native?
- San Diego County needle grass (Stipa diegoensis) is native to CA, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What pollinators does San Diego County needle grass attract?
- San Diego County needle grass draws wind-pollinated.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
Ready to grow San Diego County needle grass? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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