Leaf
John De Vos, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Yorkshire fog
Holcus lanatus L.
Family: Poaceae
20 to 80 cm
Damp meadows, banks, track edges
Flowering: June – August
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -10°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The whole plant is soft and woolly to the touch — recognisable with your eyes closed.
🍃 Leaves
Soft and covered in a fine, soft-to-the-touch down
🌸 Flowers
Dense panicle, often tinged pink or pale violet
🍎 Fruits
Small, inconspicuous grains
🪵 Bark
The whole plant is soft and downy to the touch
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, western Asia, North Africa; very common in France in damp meadows
🐝 Value for pollinators
Wind-pollinated, of little interest to pollinators
✂️ Horticultural uses
Rarely cultivated, occurs naturally in permanent grassland
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity; may rarely develop cyanogenic toxicity under stress or frost
🌿 Other Poaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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