We have recently published ‘Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions’: i.e. tropical and sub-tropical regions. We rely on regular donations to keep our free database going and help fund development of this and another book we are planning on food forest plants for Mediterranean climates. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Agrostis capillaris - L

Common Name Browntop Bent Grass
Family Poaceae
USDA hardiness 3-10
Known Hazards None Known
Habitats Grasslands and pastures. Dominant on poor and acidic soils and is well adapted to grazing pressure. Invades ruderal, disturbed areas, heathland, woodland, scrub and sand dune habitats. Abundant in wetlands and cultivated areas. In Australia, it is reported from dry coastal vegetation, heathy woodlands, lowland grasslands, grassy woodlands, dry and damp sclerophyll forests, riparian vegetation and alpine and sub-alpine vegetation, including montane peatlands and swamps [1-8].
Range Native to Eurasia, from Ireland and Britain in the west, through Siberia and Central Asia, as far east as China and from Scandinavia south to the Mediterranean, including Tunisia in North Africa. Introduced and naturalized in the Americas (USA, Canada, Greenland, Brazil, Argentina and Chile), southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand [1-8].
Edibility Rating    (0 of 5)
Other Uses    (4 of 5)
Weed Potential Yes
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Wet Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Agrostis capillaris Browntop Bent Grass


Agrostis capillaris Browntop Bent Grass
Rasbak wikimedia.org

 

Translate this page:

Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Agrostis capillaris is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. The flowers are pollinated by Wind.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and saline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

A. alba var. vulgaris (With.) Coss. & Durieu. A. capillaris subsp. castellana (Boiss. & Reut.) O.Bol?s, Masalles & Vigo. A. capillaris subsp. olivetorum (Godr.) O.Bol?s, Masalles & Vigo. A. capillaris subsp. oreophila (O.Schwarz) Soj?k. A. capillaris subsp. repens (Laest.) Soj?k. A. capillaris var. alpigena (Schur) Druce. A. capillaris var. aristata (Parnell) Druce. A. capillaris var. aristulata Hitchc. A. capillaris var. capillaris. A. capillaris var. humilis (Asch. & Graebn.) Druce. A. capillaris var. nigra (With.) Druce. A. capillaris var. olivetorum (Godr. & Gren.) Kergu?len. A. capillaris var. pumila (L.) Druce. A. capillaris var. stolonifera (L.) Druce. A. sylvatica Huds. A. tarda Bartl. A. tenuis Sibth. A. vulgaris With.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

None Known

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None Known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Tropical Plants

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Temperate Plants

Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital media.
More Books

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital formats. Browse the shop for more information.

Shop Now

Other Uses

Fodder

Forest garden path mix [1-9]. Environmental Uses: Amenity, Erosion control or dune stabilization, Landscape improvement, Revegetation, Soil conservation. Ornamental: garden plant, Seed trade [1-8]. Agronomically valuable fodder and pasture grass for livestock production, occasionally cut for hay. Used in garden lawn mixtures and in particular for tennis courts and golf course fairways. Widely grown in mild (cool-humid) summers, including some parts of Australia, northern Europe, the USA and New Zealand. Compared to A. stolonifera, A. capillaris has a more upright growth habit and does not spread aggressively. Used outside its native range for erosion control and in rehabilitation work. A food source for herbivores, including rabbits [1-8].

Special Uses

Dynamic accumulator

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

A rhizomatous and stoloniferous attractive, relatively short perennial grass. Ranging from 10 to 70 cm high. Soil drainage: free or impeded. Soil reaction: acid, alkaline, neutral. Dominant on poor and acidic soils. Soil texture: light or medium [1-8]. Found on a wide range of soils both damp and dry and from neutral to acidic. A hardy grass forming short grazed turf on poor soils on hills and mountains. Common and widespread in both lowland and upland pasture, meadows, heaths, open woodlands, road verges and banks. Upper elevation limit = 945m. Lower elevation limit = 0m.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

Shop Now

Plant Propagation

Seed

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Astoria bent; black couch; brown bentgrass; browntop; browntop bentgrass; burden's grass; colonial bent; colonial bentgrass; common bentgrass; common bentgrass; dew grass; English bent; furzetop; New Zealand bentgrass; Prince Edward Island bent grass; Rhode Island bent; Rhode Island bent grass; Waipu bent. Spanish: agr?stide com?n; agr?stide tenue; ch?pica alemana; heno ahumado; hierba fina; pasto quila. French: agrostide commune; agrostide fine; agrostide t?nue; agrostide vulgaire; agrostis capillaire; agrostis commun; agrostis delicat. Russian: polevitsa tonkaya. Chinese: xi ruo jian gu ying. Portuguese: agrostide-tenue. Local Common Names:Czech Republic: psinecek obecn_; psinecek tenk_. Germany: gemeines Straussgras; rotes Straussgras; Rotstraussgras. Italy: capellini delle praterie; capellini esile; capellini volgare. Netherlands: gewoon struisgras. Poland: mietlica pospolita. Slovakia: psincek tenuck_. Sweden: roedven. Turkey: kus otu [1-8].

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Afghanistan (east), Iran (north), Turkey, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation (Dagestan), Russian Federation-Western Siberia (Western Siberia), Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia (Eastern Siberia (west)), Russian Federation (Buryatia, Gorno-Altay, Altay, Krasnoyarsk (south), Irkutsk (south), Kemerovskaja oblast, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, Tyumen), Kazakhstan (east), China (Henan Sheng, Shanxi Sheng, Nei Mongol Zizhiqu, Ningxia Huizi Zizhiqu, Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu) EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Russian Federation (European part), Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russian Federation (Astrakhan, Saratov, Volgogradskaja oblast), Ukraine (incl. Krym), Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, France (incl. Corsica), Portugal AFRICA: Spain (Canarias (La Palma)), Tunisia

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

A. capillaris has been intentionally introduced as a pasture grass and as a turf grass for lawns, in particular for golf courses, into a number of countries and has become widespread in North America, Australia, New Zealand and parts of South America. It has been recorded as invading native grasslands in part of its exotic range, including prairies in North America [1-8].

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Least Concern ver 3.1

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Agrostis perennansUpland Bent, Upland bentgrassPerennial0.9 0-0  LMHSNDM102
Eragrostis carolinianaTufted lovegrassAnnual0.5 0-0  LMHNDM10 
Eragrostis curvulaWeeping Love GrassPerennial1.2 6-9  LMHNM103
Eragrostis pilosaSoft Love Grass, Indian lovegrassAnnual0.6 6-9  LMNM110
Eragrostis tefTefAnnual1.0 8-11  LMHNDM30 
Stipagrostis pungensDrinnPerennial1.0 10-12 FLMNDM312

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

L

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Agrostis capillaris  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.