Deschampsia cespitosa - Tufted Hair Grass

An easy to grow, cool season variety that features mounds of dark green, grass-like foliage with purple-green, feathery panicles rising above in the early summer months; great for adding height and texture to borders, beds and containers

Height: Plant Height: 24 inches. Spread: 24 inches. Sun: full sun to partial shade. Hardiness zone: 3a.

Ornamental features

Tufted Hair Grass is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The gold seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early to late fall. It features delicate panicles of purple flowers with green overtones rising above the foliage from early to late summer. Its grassy leaves remain green in color throughout the year.

Landscape

Tufted Hair Grass is an open herbaceous evergreen perennial grass with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Recommended for: Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Groundcover, Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens, Container Planting.

Planting and growing

Tufted Hair Grass will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder.