Deschampsia cespitosa Palava

Deschampsia caespitosa 'Palava' is a new variety of tufted hairgrass that stands out for its compact habit and beautiful yellow flowering. This evergreen, decorative and easy-to-grow grass will thrive anywhere, even flowering in shade or in fairly dry or, conversely, wet soil. This variety forms a more compact clump than the species, making it easy to combine with other perennials in the garden and less demanding in terms of water. From a lovely fountain of bright green leaves a cloud of large, yellow inflorescences emerges in summer, turning blond and golden-yellow in autumn. This perennial plant is attractive all year round, with blond golden flowered branches, vigorous foliage, and magnificent winter structure, still with faded flowers.

Deschampsia cespitosa is a perennial grass with densely tufted clumps, belonging to the poaceae family. It is native to Europe, temperate Asia and boreal America, where it easily grows in various wet and uncultivated areas. This extremely hardy, long-lived plant tends to self-seed quite easily, but the young seedlings can be easily removed. Tufted hairgrass adapts well to fairly dry periods once its root system is well established, although it prefers cool and moist locations.

The 'Palava' cultivar, recently selected in Germany, is distinguished by its smaller size and yellower inflorescences. The plant forms a dense and upright clump, 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20in) tall when in flower, with a spread that is almost equivalent. In the midst of the foliage large, wide and fluffy, delicate inflorescences appear from July to September, carried by stiff golden stems. They are made up of numerous small flowers that are initially yellow-green, then brownish-red, finally taking on a fabulous golden hue. This flowering becomes increasingly bright as the days go by. The evergreen leaves are green, flat, 2 to 5 mm (1in) wide, very rough and often very long.

Few plant scenes can match the almost unreal spectacle of an autumn sun flooding the cloud-like mass of tufted hairgrass, suddenly turning golden. Especially planted against a backdrop of yew trees. A fascinating and poetic tableau, easily reproduced in our gardens as these very hardy plants accept any ordinary soil, even clayey and heavy or occasionally dry. Deschampsia does not interfere with neighbouring plants, to which it brings lightness. 'Palava' will give its best in mass plantings, mixed with perennials such as echinaceas and heleniums, or planted in large groups to bring lightness and brightness to a wild garden. It also grows well in a large pot, enhanced by a wall covered in ivy or flamboyant Virginia creeper in autumn. Finally, its long inflorescences lighten up fresh or dried bouquets.