Cotton Grass on Ilkley Moor

Cottongrasses are not grasses at all, although they are close relatives. They are in fact sedges. There are about 25 species of cottongrass, all of which grow in boggy conditions. The cottongrasses get their name from the fluffy white fruiting heads which - in UK species - appear in May and June. This fluffy white 'cotton' was once used to stuff pillows, as an alternative to goose down. However, the strands are not long enough to spin into thread or weave into cloth.