Eriophorum gracile
| Eriophorum gracile | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-6.5 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Eriophorum gracile (common name: cotton grass)
Propagation: Seed - sow in situ in spring in a moist soil in light shade. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 6 weeks at 15°c[1].
If the seed is in short supply it can be sown in pots in a cold frame. Place the pots in a try of water to keep the compost moist. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, the divisions can be replanted direct into their permanent positions.
Cultivation: Requires boggy conditions or a pond margin and an acid soil[2][3]. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
Quite invasive.
Range: Central and northern Europe, including Britain.
Habitat: Rare and local in wet acid bogs[4].
Edibility: Young stem bases - raw or cooked[5].
Root - raw or cooked. The blackish covering should be removed[5].
Usage: The cottony seed hairs are used to make candle wicks[5]. They are also used for stuffing pillows, paper making etc and as a tinder[5].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Monoecious
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Links
References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Grounds, Roger. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm, 1989.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.