Deschampsia cespitosa
Tufted Hair Grass
Common names: Tufted Hairgrass
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Pot size
- from 15 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Aug
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Christian Fischer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Tufted hair grass, botanical name Deschampsia cespitosa, grows wild across nearly all of Europe in damp meadows, along ditches and at the edges of forest paths. From dense, evergreen tussocks, delicate flower panicles rise from June to August to a height of 60 to 120 cm. They float above the foliage like a veil and shimmer when backlit. At first they are silvery green, later turning golden to bronze. The narrow leaves are rough at the margins. The cultivar 'Goldtau' bears panicles that shimmer golden yellow. The grass tolerates shade and heavy soil that stays wet in winter, where other grasses struggle. It readily self-seeds.
Care instructions
Plant tufted hair grass in spring or September in a sunny to partly shaded spot with fresh to moist soil. Heavy, loamy soil is no problem. Water regularly in the first year and later during long dry spells, as it does not tolerate prolonged drought. In spring, add a layer of compost. In February or March, before new growth begins, cut the tussocks back to about one hand's width above the ground. To prevent seedlings, cut off the spent panicles in late summer before the seeds drop. Common mistakes are a site that is too dry and planting too closely, as the tussocks become wide over the years. Divide them when the centre begins to decline.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May, Sep
FloweringJun–Aug
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 10 °C, ideally 20 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 28 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, loamy, clayey, humus-rich
Tufted hair grass grows best on fresh to moist, loamy, nutrient-rich soil; in nature it is found in wet meadows, by ditches and on woodland tracks. Heavy, clayey soil that is wet in winter and becomes firm in summer bothers it less than other grasses. The pH can range from slightly acidic to neutral. Permanently dry, sandy soil in full sun, on the other hand, is not for it. Here compost helps, as it holds moisture.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Apr–Jul
In spring a layer of mature compost, spread loosely around the clump, is enough. Tufted hair grass needs no more than that in the bed. Too much food makes the panicles long and soft. In a container, give a liquid fertiliser for flowering plants about every four weeks from May to July.
Overwintering
Tufted hair grass is fully hardy and in mild winters stays partly green. You can leave the panicles standing over winter; they look beautiful in hoar frost. In a container, move the pot against a sheltered house wall, stand it on pot feet and wrap it in horticultural fleece or hessian in hard frost. On frost-free days water sparingly, as the root ball should not dry out completely.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- From seed
You propagate tufted hair grass by division in spring or in September: dig up a clump, divide it with a spade into strong pieces and replant them straight away. Sowing also works well: in April and May or in September, scatter the fine seeds on moist soil, press them down and cover them only with a very thin layer, because the seeds are very fine. After a few weeks they emerge. For wet meadows and naturalistic plantings, use regional seed from your area.
For your garden
Grow Tufted Hair Grass yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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