Hare's Tail Cottongrass

When: Year round, flowering in spring and summer

Scientific name: Eriophorum vaginatum

Gaelic name: sìoda-monaidh

Scots: Draw-ling, drawmoss

Size: grows up to 60cm in height

Where: Found growing in clumps on wet, boggy ground, Wester Moss SSSI

An important food source for many bog and peatland species, Hare's tail cottongrass adds a dreamlike quality to heathland habitats in the summer, as fluffy white seeds glide over the heather and scrub.

Sometimes referred to as bog-cotton, tussock cottongrass or sheathed cottonsedge, Hare's tail cottongrass is an important and attractive plant found on boggy heath and moorland. Growing tall in dense tussocks, the fluffy, cotton-like seed heads provide food and shelter for many other peatland specialist species, such as the Large heath butterfly. Tussocks will spread over large areas of bog, as the light seedheads are carried far and wide by the wind. The base of the tussocks can often be intertwined with other plants that favour these kind of peaty, acidic soils, such as sphagnum mosses and bog rosemary.

Despite the name, cottongrass is in fact a sedge, not a grass. This is determined by the stem being solid, and not hollow, as is the case with most grasses. There are a few other species of cottongrass with which Hare's tail may be confused - Common cottongrass, Slender cottongrass and Broad-leaved cottongrass. The best way to tell if the cottongrass is the Hare's tail variety, is by the seed head: Hare's tail will generally only have one protruding from the end of the grass stem. Other species are more likely to have multiple feathery tufts.

As well as being of great ecological value, Hare's tail cottongrass has historically been used by people in many different ways. During the First World War, cottongrass seed fronds was used as a wound dressing for injured soldiers, and was also stuffed into pillows and mattresses to make them more comfy. The soft white woooly seed petals were also used as candle wicks, proving them to be a versatile asset to many neighbouring communities to these peaty, boggy environments.

The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) have a useful identification key for cottongrasses. Learn more about the ecology of this species by visiting: http://www.natureinthedales.org.uk/species/plants/hares-tail-cottongrass

Photo: D Palmar