Gardening Flowers Perennials Tufted Hairgrass By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on October 18, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Tufted Hairgrass Overview Description An ornamental grass that grows well in part shade, tufted hairgrass has fine, hair-like, green-blue blades that grow in clumps. It stays at just 12 inches tall and wide, making it a wonderful addition to small landscapes and petite urban gardens. is the plant also makes a wonderful choice for container gardens, where it adds season-long texture and color while gracefully spilling over pot edges. Plant tufted hairgrass en masse and employ it as a low-maintenance, high-impact groundcover. Genus Name Deschampsia cespitosa Common Name Tufted Hairgrass Plant Type Perennial Light Part Sun Height 1 to 3 feet Width 1 to 2 feet Flower Color Green Foliage Color Blue/Green Season Features Colorful Fall Foliage, Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom Special Features Good for Containers, Low Maintenance Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Propagation Division, Seed Garden Plans For Tufted Hairgrass Growing Tufted Hairgrass Tufted hairgrass adds texture to shade gardens. One of the few grasses that grows well in part shade, tufted hairgrass grows well alongside hosta, fern, astible, Solomon's seal, deadnettle, among other shade-loving perennials. Tufted Hairgrass Care This plant grows best in moist, organically rich soil and part shade. It is an easy-to-grow perennial when planted in any average, well-drained soil. Be mindful of too much shade. Tufted hairgrass grows well in part shade—sites that receive at least 4 hours of bright light a day—but will not flower in full shade. It is semi-evergreen in Zones 7–9. Plant in spring then water deeply. Continue watering deeply every week or two during the first growing season. Blanket the soil around new plants with a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch to prevent moisture evaporation. Expect tufted hairgrass to send up airy flower clusters in late summer. They emerge in shades of gold, silver, purple, and green then turn yellowish-tan as seeds ripen. Allow the flowers to stand through winter to enjoy their textural contribution to the garden, or cut them back in late fall. In early spring cut tufted hairgrass back to 3 inches above the soil (in colder zones plants will die back to the ground so no trimming will be needed). New shoots will emerge in spring. Learn how to properly prepare your perennials for the winter. More Varieties of Tufted Hairgrass Plant Tufted Hairgrass With: Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit