Grass ID Please

[LoveT]

I spotted quite a lot of this in my lawn today:



Anybody know what it is?

I'm assuming it's a grass of some type - my garden is like a quagmire at the moment after all the rain we've had. We are on clay soil, and where my housing estate is used to be farmland/meadow (we've also had self heal and birds foot trefoil come up in the lawn in summer, as well as a variety of other grasses).

Thanks for any help.

Thea

[Tiggrx]

It is a rush rather than a grass - Field Wood-rush (Luzula campestris). It is sometimes called Good Friday Grass because it flowers at eastertime.

[LoveT]

Thank you very much once again !

Thea

[polygro]

Originally Posted by LoveT

I'm assuming it's a grass of some type - my garden is like a quagmire at the moment after all the rain we've had.
Thea

You must have got very wet taking these photos
Looks like a 'down on the tummy' shoot !!

Polly

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

It is a rush rather than a grass - Field Wood-rush (Luzula campestris). It is sometimes called Good Friday Grass because it flowers at eastertime.

isn't this one of the ancient grassland indicator species?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

isn't this one of the ancient grassland indicator species?

It's certainly not uncommon in lawns that aren't over manicured.

[LoveT]

Originally Posted by polygro

You must have got very wet taking these photos
Looks like a 'down on the tummy' shoot !!

Polly

How did you guess! The lawn squelched as I got down on my knees to take this (not a nice sensation ), but what said it all was the way OH rolled his eyes as I appeared in the conservatory with huge wet patches on the knees of my trousers and soggy feet !

You're right Aeshna5 - my lawn certainly isn't very manicured - is that a good thing or not ?

Thea

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by LoveT

How did you guess! The lawn squelched as I got down on my knees to take this (not a nice sensation ), but what said it all was the way OH rolled his eyes as I appeared in the conservatory with huge wet patches on the knees of my trousers and soggy feet !

You're right Aeshna5 - my lawn certainly isn't very manicured - is that a good thing or not ?

Thea

its a great thing - the more diverse a lawn is the more wildlife it will support - a bowling green lawn is nowhere near as good as a lawn with lots of weeds.

My parent's lawn was a fertilised and herbicided hay field when they built their house - it has taken 30 years for even some of the natural grassland species that would be found on limestone (which is what is under the lawn) to return and the first blue butterfly was recorded in 2006. - My uncle hates it, his lawn in London is 'perfect' green - but I love it because its full of colour and bees, butterflies and beetles