Bluejoint vs Tufted Hairgrass - TreeTime.ca

Bluejoint vs Tufted Hairgrass

Calamagrostis canadensis

Deschampsia cespitosa

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Bluejoint
Tufted Hairgrass

Bluejoint is a native perennial grass that forms tall, dense colonies. It is one of the most abundant grasses found in Canada and the United States. The extensive shallow root system and spreading rhizomes help stabilise soils, especially in wet meadows, marshes, and along streambanks.

It is a cool-season grass, growing most actively in spring and fall and slowing during the heat of summer. Seeds from its purple-tinged spikes feed birds and small mammals, and the plant itself provides forage for wildlife and livestock, though it does not tolerate heavy grazing. Its tall, dense growth also offers nesting habitat for wetland birds. With these combined values, Bluejoint is well-suited for naturalisation, riparian plantings, and habitat restoration projects.

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.

Bluejoint Quick Facts

Tufted Hairgrass Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1b
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Growth form: clump forming
Spreading: rhizomes - high, seeds - high
Spreading: seeds - low


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


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: bluejoint grass, bluejoint reedgrass, canada blue joint, canada reedgrass, marsh reedgrass
Other Names: hassock grass, tufted hair grass, tussock grass