Deschampsia cespitosa
Tufted hairgrass, also known as common hairgrass or tussock hairgrass: this native grass forms dense clumps from which immense panicles emerge in summer, so light that they seem to float above the foliage. Backlit, a mass of hairgrass resembles a suspended golden cloud — one of the most beautiful effects you can create in the garden.
Characteristics:
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Airy panicles: immense, delicate inflorescences that are silvery green before turning golden blond, from June to September.
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Evergreen clump: fine, dense, dark green foliage that remains in place all winter.
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Impressive height: the clump grows 30 to 40 cm tall, while the flowering stems reach up to 1 metre.
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Native grass: naturally found in our damp meadows and open woodlands.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: partial shade to full sun — it is one of the few ornamental grasses that truly thrives in light shade.
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Soil: cool to moist, preferably heavy and acidic. This is crucial, and unlike most grasses: it appreciates clay soils that retain water and struggles in dry, sandy soils. No fertiliser is necessary.
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Method: sow in spring or autumn, on the surface without covering, as the very fine seeds need light to germinate. Keep moist until emergence. See how to sow your seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant with 50 cm spacing. For a cloud-like effect, plant it in groups rather than as a solitary specimen, preferably facing the morning or evening light.
Care advice:
- Water during dry periods: this is its only real requirement. Mulching helps maintain moisture.
- Do not cut it back in autumn: its dry panicles and evergreen foliage structure the winter garden and protect the crown. Simply comb through the clump by hand at the end of winter to remove dead leaves.
Harvesting advice:
- For dried bouquets, cut the stems in full bloom, when the panicles are fully open but before they turn completely blond, then hang them upside down in the shade.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- As a native species, it is a host plant for the caterpillars of several meadow butterflies, particularly satyrids — an ecological role that no exotic grass can fulfil.
- Its dense, evergreen clump provides excellent winter shelter for beneficial insects and small wildlife, when everything else has been cut back.
- Its seeds feed small seed-eating birds at the end of the season.
- Its dense root system effectively stabilises banks and moist soils.
Uses:
- Grass borders, naturalistic gardens, pond edges, open woodlands and damp meadows. Its panicles make beautiful bouquets, both fresh and dried.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Leave a few panicles to turn completely blond on the plant, then shake them over a container in a place sheltered from the wind: the seeds are extremely fine. It also readily self-seeds in cool soil. See how to store your seeds.
Our commitment to quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for germination rates, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our belief is that gardeners should regain the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Create a golden cloud in the cool areas of your garden, where few grasses are willing to grow.
