Deschampsia cespitosa Tauträger

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Tauträger' is a variety of tufted hair grass whose name means 'dew bearer', probably due to the translucent and almost bluish appearance of its flowering. It is a beautiful perennial grass, of medium size, whose evergreen vegetation and long-lasting inflorescences decorate the garden all year round. It forms a clump of fine green leaves. In early summer, gracefully arched, bright and lightweight panicles of flowers emerge from this foliage, in shades of green, silver, and pale gold. Very hardy and easy to grow in moist soil, this plant is stunning in a contemporary setting, a wild garden, or planted in a large pot on a patio.

Deschampsia cespitosa is a densely tufted perennial grass, belonging to the Poaceae family. It is native to Europe, temperate Asia, and boreal America, where it easily grows in various moist and uncultivated areas. Very long-lived, this extremely hardy plant self-seeds quite easily, but the young seedlings can be easily removed.

The 'Tauträger' cultivar, from which it originates, forms a beautiful upright, well-rounded clump, reaching a height of 80cm (32in) when flowering (50cm (20in) for the foliage), with a spread of about 60cm (24in). The evergreen leaves are flat, slightly arched, 2 to 5mm (1in) wide, very rough, and often very long. They are a medium green colour. From July to September, large inflorescences appear in the centre of the foliage. They are wide and airy spikes, carried by stiff culms. They are made up of numerous small flowers, which are initially silver-green before taking on a more golden hue and finally becoming pale blonde in winter. This flowering becomes increasingly bright as the days go by.

Few plant scenes match the almost unreal spectacle of an autumn sun flooding through golden tufted hair grass. A fascinating and poetic tableau, easily reproduced in our gardens as this very hardy plant accepts any ordinary moist soil, even if it is clayey and heavy. Deschampsia does not interfere with neighbouring plantings and thrives at the edge of water features. It will give its best when mixed with perennials with ample foliage, such as Darmera or ligularias, or planted in large groups to bring lightness and brightness to a wild garden. It will happily accompany daffodils, dahlias, and many late-season perennials (heleniums, echinaceas, Japanese anemones, asters). It grows very well in a large pot. Its long inflorescences add lightness to bouquets, whether fresh or dried.