Wheat Sedge vs Tufted Hairgrass - TreeTime.ca

Wheat Sedge vs Tufted Hairgrass

Carex atherodes

Deschampsia cespitosa

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Wheat Sedge
Tufted Hairgrass

Wheat Sedge is a native perennial sedge commonly found in wetlands, ditches, and along shorelines. It thrives in saturated soils, spreading by rhizomes to form large colonies that stabilize both soils and shorelines. This makes it valuable for wetland and riparian plantings.

Its distinctive, wheat-like seed spikes add seasonal character while providing food for waterfowl, and its dense clumps supply cover and nesting habitat for birds and small animals. Together, these traits make Wheat Sedge an important species for enhancing biodiversity and supporting healthy wetland ecosystems.

Tufted Hairgrass is a native perennial bunchgrass that forms dense clumps of dark green foliage. It produces tall, wispy seed heads in late spring and early summer, adding height and texture to the landscape. Its tidy, clump-forming habit and ornamental appeal make it well suited to smaller gardens and yards.

Tufted Hairgrass is a cool-season grass that grows most actively during the cooler parts of the growing season: spring and fall. Its adaptability allows it to establish across a range of sites, while its dense, fibrous root system helps stabilize soil. It is well suited to rangeland and prairie restoration, naturalization, erosion control, and revegetation projects.

Wheat Sedge Quick Facts

Tufted Hairgrass Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1b
Height: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, colony-forming
Growth form: clump forming
Spreading: rhizomes - high, seeds - low
Spreading: seeds - low


Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, YT, NT
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: awned sedge, hairy leaved lake sedge, slough sedge
Other Names: hassock grass, tufted hair grass, tussock grass