Lagurus ovatus
Hare's tail grass
Common names: Bunny tail grass, Velvet grass
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Flowering
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below −3 °C
- Water need
- Low
Photo: User:Tigerente · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Lagurus ovatus, known in German as Samtgras or Hasenschwanzgras, grows wild in the Mediterranean region on sandy soils and coastal dunes. In temperate climates it is grown as an annual ornamental grass that must be resown each year. Narrow, softly hairy, grey-green leaves produce stems 30 to 50 cm tall, which from summer bear egg-shaped, fluffy flower heads. They resemble small hare's tails, are first greenish white and later turn cream to beige. The grass can be used in borders, gravel beds, balcony boxes and containers, where it adds calm and a soft texture among summer flowers. About two to three months pass from sowing to flowering. The spikes dry well and last for months, which makes velvet grass a classic choice for dried bouquets and arrangements.
Care instructions
Sow velvet grass in a full sun, warm spot with well-drained, lean soil. Water young plants until they are established. Afterwards rain is usually sufficient, and only during long dry spells should you water thoroughly but infrequently. In containers, make sure there are drainage holes, since waterlogging is, along with rich soil, the most common mistake. No fertilizer is needed, as it makes the plants tall and soft so they tend to topple over. For dried arrangements, cut the spikes once they are fully formed but before the seeds ripen and the spikes shatter, usually from July to September. Tie them into small bunches and hang them upside down in an airy, shaded place. If you leave some spikes standing, the grass will self-seed.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May
FloweringJun–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 10 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 7 to 14 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
sandy, well-drained, lean, dry
Hare's tail grass grows best on sandy, free-draining and rather poor soil, as found on coastal dunes and dry slopes in the Mediterranean. It tolerates drought well, but not waterlogging or heavy, wet soil. The pH may be neutral to slightly alkaline. On rich, heavily fertilised soil the grass grows tall, becomes soft and flops over. In a pot, use free-draining soil and mix in plenty of sand.
Feeding
Light feeder
Hare's tail grass needs no fertiliser. On poor soil it stays compact and stands firm, with plentiful food it becomes long and soft. In a pot too, normal soil mixed with sand is enough, without additional feeding.
Overwintering
Hare's tail grass is an annual and sensitive to frost; even frosts below about minus 3 degrees harm it. In autumn, clear away the dried-up plants. If you leave a few seed heads standing, the grass sows itself again in sunny, sandy spots. You collect seed from seed heads that you let ripen in late summer: cut them on a dry day, let them dry further and keep the seeds cool and dry until the next spring. Overwintering indoors is not worthwhile.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You propagate hare's tail grass from seed. From March you can sow it indoors: scatter the seeds on poor seed compost in pots, cover them only very thinly and keep them lightly moist at room temperature. They usually germinate after one to three weeks. Plant the young plants out after the Ice Saints in mid May. Direct sowing from the end of April to May is easier: scatter the seeds loosely on loosened, sandy soil, press them in lightly and keep them moist until they have emerged. The plants then flower from about July.
For your garden
Grow Hare's tail grass yourself
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