About
Luzula sylvatica, the great wood-rush, is a clump-forming, evergreen perennial with broad, dark-green, hair-edged leaves and airy, branching panicles of chestnut-brown flowers arching to 80 cm in May and June. Spreads slowly by stolons to form attractive, weed-suppressing groundcover in shade. An excellent and reliable evergreen for a shaded border or woodland garden.
About the genus
Luzula, the wood-rushes, are evergreen, sometimes stoloniferous perennials with flat, linear, grass-like leaves edged with long, silky hairs and tiny, brown flowers in dense or lax clusters in spring or summer. Grown in shaded and semi-shaded borders, wild gardens, and naturalistic plantings.
Growing conditions
SunlightFull shade, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
AspectSouth-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH7
Plant details
Plant typeGrass Like
HabitMatforming
FoliageEvergreen
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread1-1.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens, Wildflower meadow
Native toEurope SW Asia
Care notes
CultivationThis wood-rush makes good ground cover especially in shady moist places; plant in a shady situation or sun with moisture at the root
PruningDeadhead to tidy up
PropagationPropagate by division or propagate by seed
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free