Slender Hairgrass
Deschampsia elongata
- Native to:
- Argentina, Canada, Chile, Mexico, United States
iNaturalist: © dgreenberger (iNaturalist #3780862)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Deschampsia
- Species:
- Deschampsia elongata
- USDA Symbol:
- DEEL
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 120 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- green, yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- tan, gold
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from basal crown after fire; tolerates periodic burns in meadow and riparian habitats.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in meadows and open woodlands
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily with cold stratification; light may improve germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds can be sown directly without pretreatment, but can also be treated with gibberellic acid and a 5 day prechill at 5 degrees centigrade for laboratory germination.
Establishment: Seed is collected when the inflorescence begins to dry and the seed is in the soft to hard dough stage but before it shatters from the inflorescence. Trials showed no benefit from stratification. The plant is native to Western North America.
Source: npn.rngr.net