Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis)

Grass 

Grass
Meadow foxtail
(Alopecurus pratensis)

Upright and bushy-tailed, meadow foxtail is a charming addition to any meadow. It provides food and habitats for a variety of invertebrates, including the caterpillars of the Essex skipper butterfly.

Meadow foxtail is a foodplant of the caterpillars of the Essex skipper butterfly. As a long grass, it also provides an important habitat for a variety of invertebrate species.



A perennial tufted grass, meadow foxtail gets its name from its long cylindrical flower heads that look like foxes’ tails. It grows up to 100cm tall and is one of the first grass species to flower in the year. It remains green throughout the winter.

Leaves: approximately 5mm wide, smooth and hairless.

Stem: erect and hard at the shaft.

Flowers: flowerhead is a long cylinder at the top of a stalk. It can grow 2–10cm long and 5–10mm wide. It has short silky hairs called anthers which are around 5mm long and give the flower a bushy look.

Seedheads: dense, cylindrical, 3–6 cm long.

Not to be confused with: Timothy grass (Phleum pratense) which is coarser and flowers later in the year. The shoot bases of Timothy grass are swollen like an onion and those of meadow foxtail aren’t.
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27 May 2020