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Yorkshire Fog

Holcus lanatus

Close up of Yorkshire-fog
Dense Yorkshire Fog in a meadow

How To Spot

This is easy! It has a soft, tall, hairy stems – just run your fingers along it. No other grass feels like this. The bottom of its stem looks like pink stripey pyjamas – no other grass looks like this. There are pink flushes too in its long flower head which look beautiful when swaying in the wind.

Where to spot

The most widespread of all grasses in the UK, it’s found on all kinds of grasslands, from meadows to wastelands.  On lawns, it flowers a little bit later than other grasses during No Mow May.

Don’t mistake it with

Creeping soft-grass – its nearest relative is only hairy on its nodes, the lumpy bits along the stem that look like knees.

Yorkshire Fog pictured in the sunshine

Things you might not know

It can be a dominating grass as it produces huge amounts of seed which can germinate almost immediately, and buried seed remains viable for many years.

Other Species

Scrambled Egg Lichen
Scrambled Egg Lichen

Scrambled Egg Lichen

Aspen Bristle-moss
Close up of the detailed Aspen Bristle-moss growing on Aspen tree bark

Aspen Bristle-moss

One-flowered Wintergreen
Close up of a delicate One-flowered Wintergreen flower. The five white petals stand out against the forest floor.

One-flowered Wintergreen