Poaceae

Colonial bentgrass

Agrostis capillaris L.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Agrostis

Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Colonial bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris) — FlowerPhoto: Colin Meurk, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (24)

arz: اجروستيس الشعيرات
Belarusian: Мятліца звычайная, Мятлюг
Bulgarian: Обикновена полевица
Chinese: 丝状剪股颖, 絲狀剪股穎, 细弱剪股颖, 霞糠穗草
Croatian: Obična rosulja
Czech: Psineček obecný
Danish: Almindelig Hvene, Hvene
Dutch: Gewoon struisgras
English: Colonial bentgrass, Colonial bent, Common bent, Browntop
Estonian: Harilik kastehein
Finnish: Nurmirölli
German: Rotes Straussgras, Rotes Straußgras, Rot-Straußgras, Rotstraußgras
hsb: Čerwjena wjechelca
Icelandic: Hálíngresi
Latvian: Parastā smilga
Lithuanian: Paprastoji smilga
Norwegian Bokmål: Engkvein
Polish: Mietlica pospolita
Russian: Полевица тонкая, Полевица волосовидная, Полевица нитевидная
Slovak: Psinček tenučký
Slovenian: Lasasta šopulja
Spanish: Yerba fina
Swedish: Rödven
Welsh: Maeswellt cyffredin

Synonyms

Agrestis polymorpha Bubani
Agrostis alba subsp. silvatica (Huds.) K.Richt.
Agrostis alba subsp. vulgaris (With.) Hitchc.
Agrostis alba subsp. vulgaris (With.) Douin
Agrostis alba subvar. pumila (L.) Coss. & Germ.
Agrostis alba var. aristata A.Gray
Agrostis alba var. minor Vasey
Agrostis alba var. pumila (L.) Spenn.
Agrostis alba var. silvatica (Huds.) K.Richt.
Agrostis alba var. stricta (Willd.) Alph.Wood
Agrostis alba var. sylvatica (Huds.) Sm.
Agrostis alba var. tenuis (Sibth.) Fiori
Agrostis alba var. vulgaris (With.) Coss. & Durieu
Agrostis atropurpurea Steud.
Agrostis atroviolacea Sennen
Agrostis borbonica C.Cordem.
Agrostis canina f. varians (Thuill.) Beldie
Agrostis canina var. glaucina (T.Bastard) Delastre
Agrostis canina var. varians (Thuill.) Ducommun
Agrostis capillaris f. setulosa (Murb.) Lindm.
Agrostis capillaris subsp. oreophila (O.Schwarz) Soják
Agrostis capillaris var. alpigena (Schur) Portal
Agrostis capillaris var. aristata (Parn.) Druce
Agrostis capillaris var. aristata Dogan
Agrostis capillaris var. aristulata Hitchc.
Agrostis capillaris var. canina (G.Sinclair) Tzvelev
Agrostis capillaris var. capillaris
Agrostis capillaris var. dubia Portal
Agrostis capillaris var. glaucina (T.Bastard) Portal
Agrostis capillaris var. hispida (Willd.) Tzvelev
Agrostis capillaris var. humilis (Asch. & Graebn.) Druce
Agrostis capillaris var. pumila (L.) Druce
Agrostis capillaris var. sambukii Tzvelev
Agrostis capillaris var. varians (Thuill.) Chevall.
Agrostis capillaris var. violacea (Thuill.) Chevall.
Agrostis ceretana Sennen
Agrostis claudii Sennen
Agrostis diffusa Banks & Sol. ex Hook.f.
Agrostis diffusa Spreng.
Agrostis divaricata Hoffm.

and 132 more.

Flowers

In flower: June to July, December to February (from 99 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Greenland: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, St. Pierre and Miquelon: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Colin Meurk, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Ed Wilson, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Alice Shanks, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FruitPhoto: William Harland, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dmitriy Bochkov, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jenny Saito, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Agrostis

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.