Bottle Brush Grass (Elymus Hystrix) – 1 Gallon Pot

Height at Maturity:  3-5′

Width at Maturity:  1-2′
Spacing:  18″ for mass plantings

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Maintenance / Care:  Very Low 

Elymus hystrix, commonly known as Bottlebrush Grass, is a North American native grass with two claims to fame: the delightful bottlebrush shaped inflorescences in summer and an unusual tolerance for shade, moist or even dry shade. These traits make it a perfect low-maintenance alternative to lawn grass and other plants under a large shade tree or in a partially shaded woodland area where some light is able to penetrate to the forest floor. Also nice as a grassy accent or grouping in smaller garden spaces. In summer and persisting into fall, exquisite, soft-textured, bottlebrush-like flowers on tall stems 3 to 5 feet high emerge a soft soft green transitioning to cream and finally to tan-brown in fall. Birds will appreciate the seeds and what they don’t eat will self-sow to thicken the patch.

Bottlebrush Grass is a host plant for the Northern Pearly Eye, a woodland butterfly species. Birds will enjoy the seeds in late summer and fall.

A North American native, Bottlebrush Grass are very easy to grow in a wide range of soils, heavy clay, sandy and dry or moist soils. Bottlebrush Grass prefers life on the shady side, but not total darkness. It will handle morning sun but prefers some shade or dappled shade in the afternoon or all-day conditions where some light comes through to the ground. Maintenance is minimal. Plants can be cut back or mowed to the ground annually in late winter before new growth begins to emerge. No need to feed though an early spring application of an mild organic plant food or homemade compost can be beneficial.