Tufted Hairgrass

Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv. - Grass family

Size

Mature Height: Up to around 5.0 feet

Plant Type: Graminoid

Root Depth: 14 inches

Growth Form: Bunch

Growth Rate: Moderate

Features

Flower Color: Yellow

Conspicuous Flowers: No

Bloom Time: Late Spring

Seasonal Growth: Spring and Summer

Evergreen: No

Fall Colors: No

Conditions

Shade Tolerance: Intolerant

Clay Soil Tolerance: Yes

Sandy Soil Tolerance: Yes

Drought Tolerance: Low

Flood Tolerance: High

Fire Tolerance: High

Salt Tolerance: Low

Ecosystem Interactions

Pollinators: Larval Host (Butterfly); Wind

Larval Species depending on Tufted Hairgrass: Paratrytone melane

Native Range

  • USA:  Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
  • CAN:  Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territorie, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Québec, Saskatchewan, Yukon
  • DEN:  Greenland
  • MEX:  Mexico Northeast
Regional Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N), GL (N), SPM (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.