Velvet bentgrass.

At a glance

Care level

Moderate

Plant type

Grass

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Indoor light

Direct sun

Water

Every 2 to 4 days

Mature size

10 to 40 centimeters

Growth rate

Medium

Hardiness

USDA 4 to 9

Bloom time

Early to mid summer

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist to prevent the grass from drying out. Watch for signs of fungal issues if the area stays too humid or lacks air circulation. Regular mowing helps maintain its signature velvet appearance.

Watering

Keep the soil evenly moist but never waterlogged.

Feeding

Apply a balanced, slow release fertilizer during the active growing season.

Pruning

Mow frequently to keep the turf at a low, uniform height.

Repotting

This plant is typically grown as a lawn grass rather than in containers.

Soil

Moist, acidic, well drained

Soil pH

5.0 to 6.5

Temperature

-34 to 30°C

Humidity

60 to 90%

Safety

People

There are no known toxic effects to humans from contact or ingestion.

Children

It is safe for children to play around, though the fine blades can be sharp if handled roughly.

Contact allergens

The fine, slightly rough leaf blades may cause minor skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Airborne allergens

Like many grasses, it produces windborne pollen that can trigger seasonal hay fever.

Edibility

This grass is not intended for human consumption.

How to identify it

• Extremely fine leaf blades
• Forms dense, soft mats
• Light green color
• Short, membranous ligule
• Creeping stolons present

Height

0.1 to 0.4m

Spread

0.2 to 1m

Leaves

bright green, perennial

Flowers

greenish, purple, 0.2 to 0.5cm

Problems to watch for

• Dollar spot · Small, circular patches of bleached grass appear during humid weather.
• Brown patch · Fungal infection causing irregular brown areas in hot, wet conditions.

Growing it

Propagation

division, seed, stolons

When to plant

spring, early autumn

Pair this grass with other acid-loving plants to ensure they all thrive in the same soil conditions.

Grows well with

• Common Heather · They share similar acidic, moist soil preferences in heathland environments.
• Purple Moor Grass · This grass thrives alongside velvet bentgrass in damp, nutrient poor meadows.

Similar species

• Creeping Bentgrass · It is a close relative that also spreads by stolons but prefers slightly different soil conditions.

Science

Family

Poaceae

Genus

Agrostis

Order

Poales

Class

Liliopsida

Native range

Europe and parts of Western Asia.

Conservation

It is considered a declining species in parts of its native range due to habitat loss.

It naturally inhabits damp heaths, bogs, and acidic grasslands where it outcompetes other species in low-nutrient, wet conditions.

Value to wildlife

larval host plant

Pollinators

bees

Uses

golf course greens, fine lawns, erosion control

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Does it need a lot of water?

Yes, it prefers consistently moist soil and does not handle drought well.

Can I mow it short?

Absolutely, it is one of the few grasses that tolerates extremely close mowing.

Where the name comes from

The genus name Agrostis comes from the Greek word for a type of forage grass, while canina refers to the dog, likely due to its common occurrence in wild, uncultivated areas.

Good to know

• It is known as velvet bentgrass because of its soft texture.
• It spreads via stolons to form a dense mat.
• It thrives in acidic, moist soils where other grasses struggle.