Cock’s foot seed heads

Look out for cock’s foot seed heads – tufted, triangular flowerheads comprising clumps of spikelets. As its name as Gaeilge suggests, garbh fhéar or rough grass becomes coarse and unpalatable after flowering. It does yield well especially early and withstands drought because of its deep roots. While normally best to let nature take its course and not sow ‘wild’ flowers, where ground cover is needed to outcompete problem weeds or invasive alien species, sowing cock’s foot seed is recommended and is sown in arable grass margins in ACRES. Cock’s foot grows in dense tussocks ideal for overwintering spiders and sites for egg laying invertebrates and is part of our native Irish biodiversity.