Wavy Hairgrass

Description

Species Information

Wavy Hairgrass (Deschampsia flexuosa), also known as Crinkled Hairgrass or Avenella flexuosa, is a graceful, tuft-forming native perennial grass that adds soft texture and movement to wildflower meadows and natural planting schemes. Its fine, hair-like leaves and delicate flower stems create an airy display that sways gently in the breeze throughout summer.

Flowering from June to August, Wavy Hairgrass produces loose, shimmering flower heads that emerge silvery-green before maturing to subtle purple and bronze tones. Naturally found in heathlands, moorlands, woodlands, and sandy grasslands, it thrives in nutrient-poor conditions and provides valuable habitat for wildlife.

It’s also the larval food plant of the Wall Brown butterfly, making it an excellent choice for biodiversity-focused landscapes.

How to Identify

Wavy Hairgrass forms neat tussocks of fine, thread-like green leaves. During summer, slender, wavy stems rise above the foliage, carrying airy, open flower heads that shimmer and move freely in even the lightest breeze. The delicate panicles gradually change from silvery-green to soft purple and bronze as they mature.

How to Grow

Wavy Hairgrass grows best in full sun or partial shade on well-drained, acidic soils. It thrives in poor, low-fertility ground and is ideal for heathland planting, wildflower meadows, woodland edges, and other naturalistic landscapes.

Once established, this hardy native grass requires very little maintenance. An annual cut back in late winter or early spring is all that’s needed to encourage fresh new growth each year.