Irish air dotted with cotton floating in the wind

The sight of cotton floating in the wind under bright sunshine has been commonplace across Ireland during the past week.

Known colloquially as “bog cotton”, the phenomenon associated with a plant (Eriophorum angustifolium) that grows in bogs and peatlands in Ireland.

The white seed heads of both Common Cotton Grass and Hare’s-Tail Cottongrass are fluffy structures that are easily carried by the wind, aiding in seed dispersal.

The two plants are very similar and seen from May each year.

The plants are commonly found in bogs, wet heaths, and moorlands throughout Ireland, including both raised and blanket bogs, according to the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPPC). 

Cottongrass is one of the first plants to flower on Irish bogs.

According to the IPCC, “The leaves of Common Cottongrass are wider (2 to 5 cm) and have rusty red tips.

 Hare’s-tail Cottongrass (also known as Single-headed Bog Cotton) grows on the drier surface of the bog and does not have these air canals. Instead many plants of Hare’s-tail Cottongrass grow tightly packed together to form a clump or tussock on the bog surface.”