Elymus hystrix, Bottlebrush Grass

A fast-to-mature but relatively short-lived species, Bottlebrush grass are a lovely addition to a newly planted shaded garden. They thrive in dappled shade and will tolerate dry soil and root competition from mature canopy trees. Clump forming, rather than running, these spread by seed and can pop up quickly after disturbance opens a space for them.

The plants in the gardens I tend we almost all planted last summer so will be coming into their own in the summer of 2024. Luckily, I was able to take a few photos of a couple of clumps in one of the forests at the Royal Botanical Garden conservation area last summer, as well as a clump in a client’s front garden here in Ottawa so I’m able to include them in this series.

They bloom fairly early in the summer, with their spikey green flower heads maturing into spikey green, then tan, seed heads. Their seeds are mature when they pull off of the stem easily, sometime in September or early October in my experience from the few seeds heads I gathered last fall. Left much longer and they will shatter, either from a stiff breeze or from a critter brushing by them. Their long, spikey awns either catching the wind or on fur (or clothing) to transport them to a new location.

If you are planting a new garden space, or re-panting a disturbed ecosystem, in dappled shade with average moisture, these are a lovely species that will quickly begin to cover the ground and provide shelter for small beings but will also gently fade away as the slower growing species begin to mature.

Some other species to consider for a setting like this include Black Snakeroot, Giant Yellow Hyssop, Poke Milkweed, Hairy Woodmint, Flat-topped White Aster, Scarlet Beebalm (if the space isn’t too dry) Late Figwort, Zigzag and Bluestem Goldenrod, and Heartleaved, Calico and Bigleaf Asters.