Common Name: Cotton Grass

General Information

Eriophorum angustifolium is an extensively-creeping, perennial, grass-like plant growing from a rhizomatous rootstock; it produces culms around 20 -.114cm tall, spreading widely in suitable conditions[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Widespread through Subarctic and Temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere

Habitat

Peat bogs, acid meadows, marshes and tundra[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires boggy conditions or a pond margin and an acid soil[, ]. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
Plants can be quite invasive.

Edible Uses

Young stem bases - raw or cooked[]. Usually cooked and eaten with oil[].

Root - raw or cooked[]. The blackish covering should be removed[].

Medicinal

The leaves and roots are considerably astringent and have been used in the past as a treatment for diarrhoea[].

Some native North American peoples would eat the stems raw in order to restore good health to people in generally poor health[].

The cotton-like flowers are picked in spring and summer and used by old women for wiping their eyes[]. They are also used to staunch bleeding from cuts[].

Other Uses

The cottony seed hairs are used to make candle wicks[, , , ]. They are also used for stuffing pillows[, , ], paper making etc and as a tinder[]. Experiments have been made in using the hairs as a cotton substitute, but they are more brittle than cotton and do not bear twisting so well[].

The dried leaves and stems have been woven into soft mats or covers[]. The stems, gathered in summer and dried, are woven for use as boot soles[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in spring in a moist soil in light shade. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 6 weeks at 15°c[].
If the seed is in short supply it can be sown in pots in a cold frame. Place the pots in a try of water to keep the compost moist. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, the divisions can be replanted direct into their permanent positions.