Cottongrass

Tags: Rushes, sedges and grasses Description: A very characteristic plant on the bog is cottongrass. There are a number of different kinds of cottongrass, but common to them is that after flowering (which one mostly does not notice) they get a tuft of white hairs that look a little like cotton. These hairs help the seed, like a parachute, to spread with the wind. Use: In the past the “wool” tufts were used in pillows and duvets, but the fibres break apart quickly, and they cannot be spun like wool and cotton. Habitat type: Water and bog Edible: No Written by: Lærke Stewart

Cottongrass. Photo: Gina Wigestran