Molinia caerulea

FamilyGenus: Molinianative in Germany

🌿

Species

interact

🔗

Interactions

documented

🐛

Host relationships

Species

About this species

Molinia caerulea is a native broad-leaved grass of Great Britain, reaching about 0.94 m in height. It flowers between August and September and thrives in sunny, moderately moist, nutrient-poor soils.

Ecological network

Click to highlight connections · Click again to open the species page

Loading network...

Larval host

Ecological significance

As a native grass of nutrient-poor habitats, Molinia caerulea plays a role in supporting local wildlife associated with such plant communities.

Annual cycle

Flowers from August to September.

Standort & Merkmale

Light

Sonne

Moisture

Frisch (Mäßig feucht)

Soil

Schwachzehrer (Magerer Boden)

Flowering period

Aug – Sep

Soil reaction

Mäßig sauer bis neutral

Bioregion

Continental

Growth form

Gras

Woodiness

Nicht verholzt

Leaf type

Breitblättrig

Plant height

0.938 m

Morphological traits: TRY ID3 (CC BY 3.0) & TRY ID81 (CC BY)

Pflege & Anbau

Grow in full sun on a lean, moderately moist, neutral to slightly acidic soil. Avoid rich or fertile ground, as this species is adapted to nutrient-poor conditions. Once established it requires little attention beyond removing old foliage in late winter.

Scientific profile

Molinia caerulea is a terrestrial, non-woody grass native in Great Britain. It forms clumps of broad leaves and achieves a typical height of approximately 0.94 m. The plant flowers from August to September. Its ecological preferences are for sunny positions (light value 7), fresh to moderately moist soils (moisture value 6), and nutrient-poor, weakly acidic to neutral ground (nutrient value 2, reaction value 5). It favours moderately warm temperatures (value 4). The species is associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and produces small diaspores of about 1.8 mg.

Host relationships

12 species use this plant as a host

Carterocephalus palaemon Erebia aethiops Rivula sericealisEuclidia miDeltote pygargaDeltote bankianaAmphipoea lucensMythimna pudorinaCerapteryx graminisXylena vetustaPhragmatobia fuliginosaEuthrix potatoria

Sources & data origin

•Cook et al. (2025) UK Butterfly & Moth Traits (DOI: 10.5285/dbc7cc17-cbbd-49dd-bab4-8e8855768d66)

•FloraWeb / BfN

•EIVE 1.0 — Dengler et al. (2023), DOI: 10.3897/VCS.98324 (CC BY 4.0)

•GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — GBIF Secretariat (2024), DOI: 10.15468/39omei (CC BY 4.0)

•TRY Categorical Traits (ID3) — Kattge et al. (2012), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.3 (CC BY 3.0)

•TRY Global Spectrum (ID81) — Díaz et al. (2016/2021), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.81 (CC BY)

•Checklist Alien Plants Belgium — Verloove F (2023), Botanic Garden Meise (CC BY 4.0)

•Govaerts R et al. (2025) — World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) v14. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. DOI: 10.34885/xs7h-ze42 (CC BY 4.0)

All data is licensed under CC BY 4.0, CC0, or compatible terms. Attribution according to license conditions. Full source overview →