Agrostis hyemalis aka Winter Bentgrass

Agrostis hyemalis is a grass known as winter bentgrass or tickle grass. It belongs to the grass family, Poaceae. Its native range spans several parts of the world. These include the Russian Far East and northeastern China. It also grows from southeastern Canada through the central and eastern United States. Other native areas include Mexico, the Caribbean, Ecuador and Peru. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This perennial grass forms loose clumps with a fine texture. Garden plants reach 1–2 feet [0.3–0.61 metres] tall and wide. Some stems bear flowers, while others remain sterile. The culms, or stems, are round, smooth and pale green. They have no scent. Narrow green leaves grow in an alternate pattern along them. The blades are hairless and have sheaths at their bases. The leaf description gives lengths of 2–4 inches. The same source lists 3–6 inches in its leaf traits.

Flowers appear in spring and summer in open panicles. Each panicle measures 6–9 inches long and holds small spikelets. These may look green or purple. The fruit is an achene. This grass grows fast and can set seed by early summer. Once the flower heads mature, their stems break near the base. Wind then carries the detached stems across the ground. On very poor soil, plants may behave more like annuals. They readily produce new plants from seed.

Give winter bentgrass full sun or part shade and good drainage. It prefers dry, sandy ground but also accepts moister, richer soil. Suitable soils include clay, sand and shallow, rocky ground. Acid to neutral soil suits it. Its reported hardiness spans USDA zones 3–10. In the wild, it grows in fields, meadows and disturbed ground. Roadsides and powerline corridors also provide habitat. Its tolerance of poor ground can help gardeners use difficult sites.

Winter bentgrass suits meadows, rock gardens and areas left to naturalize. It can also help control erosion on poor-soil slopes. Its stems offer nest sites for bees that nest inside stems. Some skipper butterflies use it as a host plant. These traits give it a place in pollinator gardens. It needs little upkeep, and NC State reports no major plant problems. The supplied sources give no food uses or toxicity assessment. They also provide no specific medicinal uses.