Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis)

Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis)

A native oxygenating pond plant with fine grass like foliage for shallow shelves and natural pond planting

Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis) is a fine textured native oxygenating pond plant with slender grass like stems. It is ideal for shallow shelves, damp pond margins and wildlife friendly planting schemes where you want a low, natural appearance.

This plant forms neat rooted clumps rather than loose floating stems, making it especially useful where you want oxygenating value close to the pond edge or on a shallow shelf. Its bright green foliage adds soft texture without becoming too tall or heavy.

Dwarf Hairgrass is valuable in wildlife ponds because it creates low cover near the waterline. This shallow zone is important for amphibians, emerging insects and small pond creatures, helping create a more varied and natural habitat.

During active growth, the plant contributes to oxygen production during daylight and uses nutrients from the surrounding water and planting medium. It is best used alongside deeper oxygenating bunches, marginals and waterlilies for a balanced planting scheme.

Once established, Dwarf Hairgrass is generally easy to manage. It can be trimmed or divided if clumps become crowded, and it usually remains neater than many vigorous oxygenating plants.

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Potted Oxygenators and Bunched Oxygenators

Potted oxygenators are supplied rooted in aquatic soil and are usually placed on pond shelves or in shallow water. They often provide useful cover near the water surface, making them valuable for amphibians, froglets and aquatic insects.

Bunched oxygenators are usually weighted and placed into deeper areas of the pond, where they can sink towards the pond floor and root into the substrate.

Dwarf Hairgrass is best used as a shallow water potted oxygenating and habitat plant rather than a deep submerged oxygenator. It pairs well with deeper oxygenating bunches, marginals and waterlilies to create planting at several different depths.

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Key Benefits

• UK native oxygenating pond plant
• Fine grass like foliage with a natural appearance
• Ideal for shallow shelves and damp margins
• Provides low cover for amphibians and pond insects
• Useful in wildlife ponds and natural planting schemes
• Rooted growth is easy to position in baskets
• Pairs well with deeper bunched oxygenators
• Hardy and reliable in UK ponds

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Reasons to Buy

• Good choice for soft low planting around pond shelves
• Adds fine texture without becoming tall
• Useful for small ponds and wildlife ponds
• Works well with native planting schemes
• Easy to maintain once established

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Care Instructions

• Place the aquatic basket on a shallow shelf with the top of the basket between 0cm and 30cm below the water surface.
• Grow in full sun or partial shade and avoid heavy shade from taller plants.
• Trim tired growth in autumn or early spring if required. Divide established clumps every few years if they become crowded.
• If supplied in 9cm pots, pot into an aquatic basket before placing in the pond.

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Flowering Period

Dwarf Hairgrass can produce small, subtle brownish flower spikes in summer. It is grown mainly for its fine grass like foliage and habitat value.

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Size and Growing Conditions

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Dispatching Your Pond Plants

Your Dwarf Hairgrass will be carefully packed to protect the foliage and roots during transit.

Orders received by 11am Monday to Wednesday are normally dispatched on the following working day using a next working day courier service. During busy periods, dispatch may occasionally take an extra day.

To avoid plants being held in depots over a weekend, we do not usually dispatch on Fridays. Highlands and Islands orders using a 2 day service are not normally dispatched on Thursdays.

Available basket sizes:

• 1 Litre Basket, usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square; some varieties may be supplied in a 14cm diameter × 10cm round basket
• Pack of 3 × 1 Litre Baskets, each usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square
• 2 Litre Basket, usually 17cm diameter × 13cm round or 19 × 19 × 9cm square, depending on the plant
• Pack of 3 × 9cm Pots

Planting depth is measured from the top of the aquatic basket to the water surface.

Plants supplied in 9cm pots will require potting into an aquatic basket before being placed in the pond.

Finofil baskets are manufactured in the UK from 100% recycled plastic and are fully recyclable. Their fine dual mesh construction helps retain aquatic soil while allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots. Basket shape may vary slightly depending on the plant and supplier availability.

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Similar pond plants

For another submerged or oxygenating choice, compare Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis) and Eel Grass (Vallisneria gigantea).

Explore more oxygenating pond plants or browse our complete pond plants range. Need baskets, aquatic soil or planting essentials? Browse our pond plant baskets and aquatic planting supplies.

🇬🇧 UK-grown aquatic plant: Grown at a dedicated aquatic plant nursery in the South of England and carefully prepared for delivery across the UK.