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Polypogon spp.

beard grasses

Poaceae

Old World temperate and warm regions, centred on the Mediterranean

SunFull Sun

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 6–10

Overview

Polypogon spp. is a genus of about 25 species of annual and perennial grasses in the family Poaceae, commonly called beard grasses or rabbitsfoot grasses, native to temperate and warm regions of the Old World and now naturalized widely. The plants are tufted, with flat, light green leaf blades and upright stems 4-40 in (10-100 cm) tall depending on species. The flower head is a dense, soft, cylindrical to lobed panicle, made fluffy by slender, bristle-like awns on the many small spikelets, pale green ripening to tawny or silvery. P. monspeliensis, annual rabbitsfoot grass, is a common plant of ditches, damp disturbed ground, and seasonally wet soils, and is treated as a weed in farmland and wetlands in many regions. P. viridis, water bent, is a creeping perennial of streamsides and moist ground. Most species grow in damp or wet soils and tolerate some salinity, but they are short-lived and seed heavily. The soft, bristly seed heads catch in fur and clothing and spread the seed.

Native Range

Native to temperate and subtropical regions of Europe, Africa, and Asia, centred on the Mediterranean, and naturalized across the Americas, Australia, and elsewhere. P. monspeliensis has spread worldwide as a weed of wet, disturbed ground.

Suggested Uses

Used in naturalistic, wetland-edge, and rain-garden plantings and in dried arrangements for the soft seed heads, set in consistently moist ground. The annual species are mostly encountered as volunteers in damp sites rather than as deliberate plantings.

How to Identify

Identify Polypogon spp. by soft, dense, cylindrical or lobed flower heads that look and feel fluffy or silky because of the many slender awns on the spikelets, pale green aging to tawny or silver. Plants are tufted grasses with flat, light green blades. In P. monspeliensis the plump, bristly head on a short annual plant in damp ground is characteristic, while P. viridis has a more open head and creeping perennial stems.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 3'4"

Width/Spread4" - 1'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

The soft, bristly flower heads appear from late spring into summer, mainly May to August, and ripen from green to tawny or silvery over a few weeks. Plants flower quickly from seed, and annual species often complete flowering and seeding in a single wet season. The awned spikelets break away to disperse seed.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pale green to tawny or silvery, silky

Foliage Description

light green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1 year

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Across the genus, Polypogon spp. grows in full sun in moist to wet soil and tolerates clay, periodic flooding, and some salinity, over a pH from about 6.0 to 8.0. Plants depend on damp conditions and fade quickly where soil dries out. Annual species germinate, flower, and die within a season, while perennial species such as P. viridis creep along moist ground. Cold-hardiness varies, with perennial forms surviving in USDA zones 6-10. The grasses self-seed heavily and can spread into wet ground beyond where they are wanted. They need little care where moisture is steady.

Pruning

Grown mainly as wild or self-seeding grasses, plants need no routine pruning. Cutting or mowing the seed heads before they ripen limits spread into surrounding wet ground. Annual stands are cleared once they brown off and set seed.