What Is Cotton Grass?

Description

• Cotton grass grows to a mature height of about 12 inches with narrow, long leaf blades. The plant gets its name from its tall flower stalks with white flowers that closely resemble cotton swabs. The grass is evergreen. E. angustifolium has wider foliage and purplish shades in the flower stalks. Some varieties of cotton grass have dull colored or tawny flowers.

Cultural Requirements

• Plant cotton grass in areas of full sun and peaty, acidic ground that remains consistently moist to wet. The grass thrives best in regions with cool summers. Divide the clump-forming varieties of the plant in spring to create new plants. It is also easy to start cotton grass with seed. Provided optimal sun and acidic soil, cotton grass has a rapid growth rate.

Uses

• Use cotton grass at the edges of ponds or plant in combination with other taller marginal plants. Though the flowers of cotton grass are often used in floral arrangements, avoid picking these from the wild growing plants, suggests Rick Drake in "The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses." Cotton grass does well in containers when provided adequate and regular water to up to 3 inches above soil surface. Apply acid-based fertilizer to potted plants regularly.

Planting Suggestions

• Since cotton grass spreads by underground rhizomes, it can easily turn invasive if left uncontrolled. This often happens when the plants are used as marginals around ponds. The best way to avoid this problem is to plant the grass in medium-sized containers and sink the containers in the soil. Make sure that the containers are at least 2 inches below the soil line to ensure enough moisture for plants. Cotton grass is hardy in nature and is well tolerant of temperatures as low as 30 degrees below Fahrenheit.