Perfect for a dry woodland or partly shady garden, Deschampsia flexuosa thrives in medium to dry soil, flowering best in dappled shade.
Those flowers are a purplish-bronze, waving in summer at the slightest breeze, turning gold in fall atop dark-green stems.
Excellent for wildlife, Wavy Hairgrass provides nesting and cover for sparrows and other birds and shelter for small mammals. Cardinals, finches and other birds feed on the seeds throughout winter.
Try Wavy en masse in a woodland garden, as an ornamental specimen, in sandy or rocky gardens or along the dry banks above ponds and streams. It integrates easily with other shade lovers including Foamflower, Coral Bells, Trillium, White Snakeroot and various ferns.
Wavy is salt tolerant and deer and rabbit resistant.
☺ Fun fact: Try Wavy Hairgrass in a cut flower arrangement.
Plant Portrait is an occasional series spotlighting native plants in 200 words or less.
About the author:
Jennifer Anderson owns Tree Talk Natives, a native tree and plant nursery in Rochester, Mass. A former news reporter, she loves to talk native plants and can be reached at jennifer@treetalknatives.com.
Sources:
Crinkled Hairgrass, Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves
Deschampsia flexuosa, Jersey Friendly Yards
Deschampsia flexuosa, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Deschampsia flexuosa, Native Plant Trust Plant Finder
Lorimer, Uli. The Northeast Native Plant Primer. Timber Press, Portland, Ore. 2022. P. 219.
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