©Philip Precey
False oat-grass
Scientific name: Arrhenatherum elatius
A fluffy-looking grass of rough grassland, roadside verges and disturbed ground, False oat-grass is very familiar and often overlooked; in fact, it can help to stabilise dunes and shelter small mammals.
Species information
Category
Statistics
Height: up to 1.5mConservation status
Common.
When to see
January to DecemberAbout
False oat-grass is a tall, fluffy-looking perennial of grasslands, roadside verges and disturbed ground. Perhaps one of the most common grasses of these often overlooked places, it may well be familiar as the grass that so many of us catch in our hands and absent-mindedly strip of its seeds as we walk along. But, in fact, it plays an important role in stabilising dunes and cliffs.False oat-grass mainly flowers from May to September, but can continue until the first frosts.
