Agrostis capillaris: characteristics & use

Sarah

For me plants are some of the most exciting living beings, even though they live in slow motion. They have fascinating abilities and just so much potential! That's why I studied organic farming. However, since plants are rather thin on the ground in my city, I often spend time hiking in the nearby mountains at the weekend. In the future I would love to run a farm myself.

Favourite fruit: strawberries and gooseberries
Favourite vegetable: courgettes

Want a lush, thick lawn that can survive in the shade? No problem for the Agrostis capillaris! The dense foliage of browntop grass is extremely robust and quite undemanding too, so it even thrives in shaded gardens.

Browntop grass flowering — Browntop grass has red flowers [Photo: Eliza Berry/ Shutterstock.com]

Contents

Agrostis capillaris: origin and description
Characteristics and use of browntop grass
Different varieties of Agrostis capillaris
Browntop grass

Agrostis capillaris: origin and description

Browntop grass (Agrostis capillaris), also known as common bent grass, is used to harsh conditions! It feels very much at home even in the rugged regions of the Alps and can grow up to an altitude of 2700 metres. But common bent grass also grows natively in large parts of western Eurasia. In the UK, browntop grass is found on upland pastures and is particularly common in Devon. It thrives along riverbanks, in lime-rich or moist soils and in sparse oak and pine woodland. This undemanding grass can also grow in dry grasslands. Browntop does well in both sandy soils with few nutrients and in acidic forest soils, growing to about 20cm tall. In June, the grass produces its characteristic flower panicles, which at heights of up to 65cm look like soft red, shimmering clouds.

The thick, delicate leaves form a beautifully dense turf. This density, along with its good shade tolerance is why Agrostis capillaris is an important component of our Plantura Shady Lawn Seed mix. The grass spreads with underground and creeping shoots to fill patches that often occur in shaded areas. On top of this, browntop also multiplies through its runners. Agrostis capillaris is very robust and tolerates poor nutrient soil, drought and close mowing very well.

Plantura Shady Lawn Seed

Premium lawn seed: shade-resistant & fast-germinating, perfect for shady gardens, resistant against weeds & moss

Shop now!

Characteristics and use of browntop grass

As it is very robust, browntop is often found in Alpine meadows and pastures serving as tasty fodder for grazing animals. But Agrostis capillaris is also great for sowing in milder climates. Its intense green and delicate leaves are a beautiful addition to many lawn seed mixes. This, along with the fact that the grass is shade-tolerant, is why we have included browntop in our Plantura Shady Lawn Seed. Furthermore, common bent grass is a popular for use in golf greens as it is quite tread-tolerant and is often found in many turf rolls because it grows so densely.

Browntop can even survive long dry periods and spreads to cover lawn patches on its own, so you will rarely have to repair your lawn. It is no wonder that Agrostis capillaris is ideal for sowing lawns. However, given the right conditions, common bent tends to crowd out other grass species, which is why it is widespread in many places in Europe. For this reason, Agrostis capillaris only makes up a small proportion to our Plantura Shady Lawn Seed.

red common bent grass flowers — This undemanding grass grows almost everywhere [Photo: IvanaStevanoski/ Shutterstock.com]

Different varieties of Agrostis capillaris

The varieties ‘Jorvik’, ‘Barking’ and ‘Heriot’ are excellent for luxury lawns. All three form a dense turf and tolerate close mowing too. While ‘Barking’ and ‘Heriot’ turn green very early in the year, the variety ‘Jorvik’ lags behind. ‘Jorvik’s’ green is darker than that of the other two varieties. The variety ‘Highland’, on the other hand, is less suitable for lawns, as it does not grow quite as densely and does not tolerate close mowing very well.

Browntop grass

Characteristics	Stoloniferous (spreading); dense growth; red flower panicle; intensely green leaves
Demands	Fairly undemanding; few nutrients, dry and moist soils
Hardiness	Good; forms dense turf; grows back well
Use	Shady lawns; turf rolls; golf greens; as a forage grass
Germination period and development	About two to three weeks until germination; slow development of seedlings
Mowing tolerance	Tolerates mowing well; even close mowing
Special features	Slow growth; undemanding and hardy; tolerates shade