Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’ 2litre

Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’

A beautifully airy ornamental grass with shimmering golden flower heads that bring movement and light to a border.

Deschampsia ‘Goldtau’ forms a neat mound of fine, deep green foliage, above which rise clouds of delicate, bronze-green flowers in early summer. As they mature, the flowers take on warm golden tones, catching the sunlight beautifully and providing interest well into autumn. The airy flower stems are also useful for pollinator-friendly, naturalistic planting where they mingle effortlessly amongst flowering perennials.

Unlike many ornamental grasses, Deschampsia is particularly useful in moisture-retentive soils and partial shade, although it will also grow happily in sun where the soil does not become excessively dry. It forms a tidy clump rather than spreading aggressively, with the tall, wispy flowers creating height without making a planting scheme feel heavy.

Specifications

• 🌿 Height: Approx. 90–120cm in flower

• ↔️ Spread: Approx. 45–60cm

• ☀️ Position: Full sun to partial shade

• 🌱 Soil: Moist but well-drained; tolerates heavier soils

• 🌸 Flowering: June–August

• ❄️ Hardiness: Fully hardy

• 🍂 Habit: Clump-forming ornamental grass

• ✂️ Care: Cut back old foliage and flower stems in late winter before fresh growth begins

🌿 Note for Isle of Wight planting

A particularly useful grass for cooler, damper or partly shaded Isle of Wight borders, where some of our more drought-loving grasses may struggle. In very free-draining, sunny coastal gardens, give it a position where the soil retains a little moisture rather than the driest part of the border.

🌿 Ideal Companion Plants from The Green Standard Range

• Geranium ‘Rozanne’ – long-flowering violet-blue flowers weave beautifully around the base.

• Liriope muscari – adds rich purple flowers and evergreen structure in partially shaded planting.

• Bergenia ‘Spring Fling’ – bold foliage provides a lovely contrast to Goldtau’s fine, airy stems.

• Euphorbia ‘Ruby Glow’ – dark foliage and lime-toned flowers give the planting depth and contrast.

• Phlomis ‘Amazone’ – purple flower whorls provide stronger vertical structure amongst the soft grass.

• Geranium × cantabrigiense ‘Cambridge’ – excellent lower-growing ground cover for softening the front of the planting.

🌟 The Green Standard Tip

Don’t cut it down in autumn. Leave the golden seed heads standing through winter – they look beautiful when caught by frost and provide valuable structure when much of the border has disappeared. Cut everything back in late winter ready for its fresh spring growth.