Scientific Name:
Deschampsia cespitosa
Pronunciation:
deh-SHAMP-see-uh kess-pi-TOH-suh
Common Name:
tufted hair grass
Family Name:
Poaceae
Plant Type:
Poales (grass-like)
Key ID Features:
Tufted perennial grass, includes four subspecies with many morphological variants; culms numerous, erect, most 30-120cm tall, 1-3 nodes; leaves linear, blades 20-30cm long x 1-5mm wide, upper surface flat or more commonly folded like an accordion to form 3-5 raised vein ridges, margin with spiky hairs on edges, dark green, ligules hairy, 4-8mm long, sheaths open; panicle loose, open, and with whorled branching, commonly nodding, 8-30cm long, spikelets 3-7mm long.
Habit:
Arching, Dense
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Central / west Asia, Europe, North America, South Asia / India (Now found world-wide)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Alkaline, Bog, Rocky or gravelly or dry
Water Use:
Moderate, Wetlands
Landscape Uses:
Aquatic - ponds, Cut flower or foliage, Fall interest, Group or mass planting, Perennial border, Waterside planting, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include D. ‘Northern Lights’ (commonly called crinkled hair grass), and D. ‘Goldgehange’.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Parallel venation
Surfaces:
Rugose, Tomentose
Colour in Fall:
Brown
Shapes:
Linear
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Attenuate, Sheathing
Margins:
Serrulate
Additional Info:
Leaves flat to folded, with a prominent ligule, and those of D. 'Northern Lights' are green and cream with tinges of pink
Inflorescence Type:
Spikelet, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul
Additional Info:
Panicle open, loose, often nodding
Fruit Type:
Grain (caryopsis)
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Not showy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Propagation:
Division - above ground parts, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
Course(s):
- HORT 1155
Location(s):
- (BUG) BUG garden : 'Northern Lights
- (GRB) GRass Bed
- (GRBE) GRass Bed East : q.3
- (GRBW) GRass Bed West : q.1
- (ONW) Overpass North side West : variegated