Tufted hair grass

Tufted hair grass: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense, rounded tussock; the leaves reach 30–50 cm, up to 90 cm with the flower stems. About 60 cm wide.

Foliage

Narrow, stiff and dark green, with ridges on the upper side that feel rough. Evergreen in mild winters.

Flowers

Airy, widely branched flower heads full of small, shiny spikelets, from June to August.

Colour

The plumes open silvery green to purplish, then turn golden yellow and straw-coloured.

Roots

Dense and fibrous; no invasive runners.

Flowering: June–August · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• A native grass that suits a wildlife garden just as well as a modern border.
• One of the few ornamental grasses that flower freely in partial shade.
• Long flowering season, from June to August; the dry plumes stand well into winter.
• In autumn and winter the seeds feed seed-eating birds.
• Grows in damp, heavy soil where many other ornamental grasses struggle.

Tufted hair grass: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; full sun only if the soil stays moist.
• Loam, clay or peaty soil, acid to chalky: it is not fussy as long as the soil does not dry out. Dry sandy soil is less suitable.
• Normal to moist soil, even at a pond edge or in a damp corner.
• Allow 50–60 cm between plants; in groups of three to seven the plumes look their best.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Loam, clay or peat

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

0.9 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Foxglove: Tall flower spikes in partial shade; together they make a natural woodland edge.
• Astilbe: Pink and red plumes on the same moist soil.
• Purple loosestrife: Purple-pink spikes among the airy plumes, on moist soil in sun.
• Japanese anemone: Carries on flowering in late summer, when the plumes turn golden.
• Hosta: Large leaves as a calm base beneath the airy plumes.

Tufted hair grass: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October, when the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and loosen the soil well.
3. Mix a spadeful of compost into the soil you dug out.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot: the crown must not be buried.
5. Water generously straight away and keep the soil moist during the first year.
6. A thin layer of leaf mould around the plant keeps the soil cool and moist.

Care

Watering

Regularly in dry spells during the first year. After that only in long dry periods: it dislikes drying out.

Feeding

Hardly needed. A little compost in spring is enough; too much fertiliser makes the stems floppy.

Leave standing

Leave the plumes all winter: they look lovely with frost and birds eat the seeds.

Tidying

In March cut off the old stems and comb the dead leaves out of the clump with your fingers or a small rake.

Dividing

Every four to five years, when the centre of the clump becomes bare, in spring.

Tip: Leave the plumes all winter and only cut them off in March: they look lovely with frost and the seeds feed the birds. Then comb out the old leaves so the green foliage stays.

Tufted hair grass: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before the new leaves really start growing. Not in autumn: the plumes still look good in winter and feed the birds.

How:

• Cut the old flower stems off short, just above the clump.
• Comb out the dead leaves with your fingers or a small rake. Wear gloves, as the leaves are rough.
• If the clump looks very untidy you can cut it back to 10–15 cm, but spare the green leaves as much as possible.
• Put the clippings on the compost heap.

Caution: If you do not want seedlings, cut off the plumes before the seed is ripe. You will then have less winter interest and less food for birds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or in September: cut pieces off the clump with a sharp spade and replant them at once. Keep them well watered.

Seed

Sow fresh seed in late summer or in spring in a tray outdoors, barely covered. The species also self-seeds. Cultivars do not come true from seed.

Tufted hair grass: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• Leave the plumes standing: covered in frost they are a winter feature and birds eat the seeds.
• In mild winters the leaves stay green; after hard frost they turn straw-coloured, but the clump regrows in spring.
• In a pot: keep the compost slightly moist and stand the pot in a sheltered spot against a wall.

Diseases and pests

• Brown leaf tips: A sign of drought, especially in full sun. Water generously and mulch the soil.
• Bare centre: Older clumps go bare in the middle. Divide them in spring and replant only the young pieces from the edge.
• Flopping plumes: After heavy rain or in too much shade the plumes lean over. Not feeding and giving a little more light helps.
• Seedlings: On moist soil it self-seeds freely. Pull out unwanted seedlings while they are small.

Through the year

• January: Rest. The plumes stay as winter food for birds.
• February: Rest. Frost on the plumes.
• March: Cut off old stems and comb out dead leaves. Plant or divide.
• April: Plant or divide. Add compost.
• May: New leaves grow. Mulch with leaf mould.
• June: The first plumes appear.
• July: Full flower. Water in dry spells.
• August: Flowering. The plumes turn golden yellow.
• September: Plant or divide. Collect seed.
• October: Plant. Leave the plumes standing.
• November: Leave the plumes for the birds.
• December: Rest. Frost on the plumes.

Good for wildlife

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• The leaves are so rough that livestock usually leave them alone. That is why you often see scattered tussocks of tufted hair grass in damp pastures.
• The species name cespitosa comes from the Latin caespes, turf: the grass grows in dense tufts.
• The genus Deschampsia was named after the French physician and naturalist Louis Auguste Deschamps.