Eragrostis

Annual or perennial, with many branched flowers, similar in effect to Deschampsia. Another large and widespread grass group, with most in cultivation preferring a warmer situation. The latin name may be derived from eros-love and agrostis-grass, hence the common name love grass.

With 350 species spread across most of the world, although none native in Britain & Ireland, the genus ranges from ones with tiny seeds to ones with larger seeds that are used as a cereal crop in parts of the Tropics. Ones with larger seeds are likely to attract the attention of seed-eating finches and sparrows in the garden. Many species grow tufted, the tussocks harbouring beneficial invertebrate predators, although their value is limited by the fact that their leaves are not generally evergreen. Elsewhere in the world, their leaves are eaten by larvae of some butterflies, especially skippers, and the same could be true here.