Tufted Hairgrass

Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P.Beauv.

Tufted Hairgrass is a tall grass that can grow in clumps. It loves to grow in wet areas and is great for helping the soil stay healthy.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Tufted Hairgrass forms dense clumps with narrow, dark green leaves. Tall, slender stalks rise above, topped by an airy, delicate flower cluster (panicle) that shimmers with purplish-green to golden-brown hues, making it visually distinct.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderPoalesFamilyPoaceae

Tufted Hairgrass

Interesting facts

Its airy flower heads shimmer in the breeze, sometimes called 'wavy hairgrass'!

Its dense clumps provide safe shelter for many tiny ground-dwelling creatures!

Its scientific name 'cespitosa' means 'tufted', perfectly describing how it grows in dense bunches!

This tough grass can live for decades, even over a century, in one spot!

Special abilities

Tufted Hairgrass forms dense, tough clumps that help it resist trampling and stabilize soil, creating safe microhabitats for tiny creatures.

Tufted Hairgrass can tolerate waterlogged soils and even occasional flooding, allowing it to thrive where many other plants cannot.

Some populations of Tufted Hairgrass have evolved to grow in soils contaminated with heavy metals, like a natural detoxifier.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-150 cm
Spread: 30-60 cm
Flower Size: 0.3-0.6 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Wind

Ecological connections

eaten by

Red Deer

Cervus elaphus

A common forage plant for grazing animals.

shelters

Field Vole

Microtus agrestis

Provides safe refuge within its dense tussocks.

parasitizes

Tufted Hairgrass Rust

Puccinia deschampsiae

A specific fungus that grows on this grass.

eaten by

European Hare

Lepus europaeus

Grazes on its leaves, especially young shoots.

Traits

Grass-Like

Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves.

Shade Tolerant

Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.

Rapid Growing

Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.