Tufted hair grass
Deschampsia cespitosa · Poaceae
A dense tussock of dark, narrow leaves disappears in early summer under a cloud of fine, shimmering flowers that open silver-green and ripen to gold.
- Size
- 3 ft tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Late June to late August
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around tufted hair grass
The planner designed this bed around tufted hair grass when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) naturalistic planting in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why tufted hair grass stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Tufted hair grass × 3, tan
- 2 Mouse-ear coreopsis 'Nana' × 8, yellow
- 3 Leadwort × 20, blue
- 4 Foxglove × 3, purple
- 5 Pieris 'Little Heath' × 1, variegated leaves
- 6 Foxglove beardtongue × 5, white
- 7 Spring starflower × 7, blue
- 8 Double snowdrop × 10, white
Why this plant
- Part of the matrix. The low fabric of grasses and groundcovers that the taller plants come up through.
- The only airy sprays. The others are daisies, dense clusters, spires and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- The only tan. Tan sits between stronger colours and calms them.
Why here
- In the middle. At 3 ft it is the step between leadwort (10 in) in front and foxglove (4 ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
- Fine leaf against bold. Foxglove is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.
Why now
- In flower for 10 weeks. From late June to late August.
- Fills a gap. For two of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
- Stands through winter. Left uncut, it holds its shape until March, when the perennials have gone.
Planned as a naturalistic planting: low grasses and groundcovers, the matrix, make up 49% of the planted ground. Cool colours (blue and purple) with yellow as the warm note, and tan and white to calm things between them. The bed is balanced: the left half carries 49% of the visual weight and the right half 51%.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 4 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where tufted hair grass goes in a border
At 3 ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium tall (2½ to 3 ft). It is airy enough to see through, so it can also come forward and veil what is behind it.
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
One of the few grasses that flowers well in part shade, and the cloud of bloom is transparent, so it can go in front of taller plants. It dislikes hot, dry summers.
- A golden haze in part shade
- Moist woodland edges
- Naturalistic planting
What to plant with tufted hair grass
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; bold leaves against its fine ones; spires rising out of its mound.
- Astilbe: in flower together for five weeks, from late June; happy in the same moist soil.
- Japanese anemone: in flower together for two weeks, from mid August; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about tufted hair grass
Does tufted hair grass need sun or shade?
Tufted hair grass grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does tufted hair grass grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does tufted hair grass flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late June to late August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 4 | Late June to late August |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Late June to late August |
| Zone 6 | Late June to late August |
| Zone 7 | Mid June to mid August |
| Zone 8 | Mid June to mid August |
| Zone 9 | Early June to early August |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should tufted hair grass be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 3 ft (90 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many tufted hair grass plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is tufted hair grass poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat tufted hair grass?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
Will tufted hair grass spread?
It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Self-seeds freely. Remove the spent flowers to limit seedlings.
What flowers after tufted hair grass?
Tufted hair grass is over by late August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall (a recorded partner).
- Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': from mid August to mid October, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does tufted hair grass look like in winter?
Tufted hair grass holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
Is tufted hair grass good for bees and butterflies?
Tufted hair grass is visited by songbirds.
It is native to the United States and Canada.
More Deschampsia
- Tufted hair grass 'Goldtau' Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau'
- Wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa
In these guides
- Plants for dry shade
- Salt-tolerant plants for roadsides and coasts
- Plants that grow near black walnut
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Native plants for shade
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Ornamental grasses under 3 feet
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Grass
- Size
- 3 ft (90 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium tall (2½ to 3 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle, or further forward: it is airy enough to see through
- Flowers
- Late June to late August; airy sprays; tan
- Leaves
- Fine texture, semi-evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Mounding, self-seeding
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Poaceae
- Comes from
- Northern Hemisphere
- Attracts
- Songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, salt, black walnut, pollution
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.