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Cock's-Foot

Cock's-Foot

Dactylis glomerata

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How common: Very common

Alien species

Cock's‑foot is a tall, tuft-forming perennial grass with bluish grey‑green leaves. It grows in open places and disturbed ground such as meadows, pastures, roadsides and ditches, and along woodland edges and riverbanks. The flower head is a short, upright spray made of tight, knobbly clumps that often sit on one side of the branches.

Did you know?

  • Widely grown as animal fodder.
  • Its pollen is a common cause of hay fever in summer.

About the species

Identification

Clump-forming grass 50–150 cm tall. Leaves flat, 6–10 mm wide, often slightly V‑folded, bluish grey‑green, rough above, with a strong ridge along the underside and a pointed, boat‑like tip. Stems stiff and upright. Flower head 5–12 cm, triangular, with rounded, tight clusters packed along one side of each branch, giving a lop‑sided look; green at first, later straw‑coloured and harsh to touch. Easy to tell by the bluish leaves and the one‑sided, knobbly clusters. Flowers in July in Finland.

Plant group

Grasses, sedges and rushes

Habitat

meadow

Flowering

Jun–Jul

About the habitat

Prefers sunny, open ground but also manages in light shade if it has space. Found in meadows and sown grasslands, field margins, parks and yards, roadsides and embankments, ditches, riverbanks and light-rich woods; tolerates many soils including clay. Common in southern and central Finland, rare in the north.

Sources

Photo: Flocci Nivis, CC BY 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20220526 Harmonia axyridis 02.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki leviäimet, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40488

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki versot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40488

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Koululaisille: talvivihreät kasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40488

Text: Pinkka: Laaja maatalouslajintuntemus 4 op - Koppisiemeniset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40488

Text: Pinkka (Luomus), CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40488

Text: Pinkka: BIO-516 Hyötykasvit - Rehukasveja, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40488

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Talvivihreät luonnonkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40488

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koiranhein%C3%A4

See also