Hare's-tail Cottongrass

Common Name: Hare's-tail Cottongrass

Latin Name: Eriophorum vaginatum

Family: Cyperaceae (Sedge family)

There are two species of cottongrass in the Yorkshire Dales, hare's-tail cottongrass and common cottongrass. Both of these species have cotton-like flower and seed heads which were formerly used to stuff pillows in Suffolk and for wound-dressings in Scotland during the First World War. Hare’s-tail cottongrass has densely tufted stems which form tussocks, has narrow dark green leaves which are triangular in cross section and its flowers consist of a single spikelet.

This species grows in wet peaty places such as moorland bogs and wet heath habitats and is common in the western, central and northern areas of the British Isles. In the Yorkshire Dales National Park hare's-tail cottongrass is abundant above 300m particularly in the central and northern parts of the National Park. It has a similar distribution to common cottongrass, but it can also tolerate higher acidity, drier habitats and higher altitudes than common cottongrass.