Cottongrass

Eriophorum angustifolium

Common Cottongrass is a sage species that grows in wetlands in many parts of Sweden. It does not need so much nutrition, so Cottongrass also grows in nutrient-poor wetlands. It has a characteristic appearance, with seed-heads that after blooming resemble feather-like cotton bolls. The bolls are often close together. Since the same plant can have several stems, they look like tufts of cotton.

Historically, tufts of Cottongrass have been used instead of bird feathers, for example in blankets, pillows and other filling. Cottongrass is less suited since it quickly becomes lumpy. Therefore it has been called poor man’s featherbed or poor man’s blanket.