"This native perennial plant consists of a clump of low vegetative shoots, from which arises one or more flowering stalks about 3-5' tall. The stout culms of the these flowering stalks are unbranched, bluntly 3-angled or terete (round in cross-section), medium green, and glabrous. Each culm has 5-9 alternate leaves along its length. The blades of these leaves are up to ½"" (12 mm.) across and 2' long; they are ascending to widely spreading. Each blade is medium green, glabrous, and slightly indented along the middle of its length. The leaf sheaths are medium green, glabrous, and closed. The leaves of the low vegetative shoots are similar to the leaves of the flowering stalks, except the former are somewhat smaller than the latter and more evergreen.

"Each fertile culm terminates in a compound umbel of spikelets spanning about 4-6"" long and wide. This compound umbel has many drooping branchlets that are slender, glabrous, and green. The outer branchlets terminate in small clusters of 3-12 sessile (or nearly sessile) spikelets. Each ovoid spikelet is about 5-6 mm. long and 3 mm. across; it becomes reddish brown and woolly at maturity, consisting of a dense head of perfect florets, scales, and bristles. Each floral scale is about 2 mm. long, lanceolate to ovate, and brown-membranous; each floret has a tripartite style, 3 stamens, and a developing ovary. At the base of the compound umbel, there are 3 or more large leafy bracts. Underneath each branched division of this umbel, there often occurs much smaller brown bractlets. The blooming period occurs from late summer to early fall. The florets are wind-pollinated. Each fertile floret is replaced by a tiny achene less than 1 mm. long. This achene is pale brown, 3-angled, and pointed at both ends; it is surrounded by 6 long bristles that are reddish brown, curly, and persistent. It is the exerted bristles of the many achenes in the spikelets that provide them with their woolly appearance. The root system is fibrous and short-rhizomatous. Wool Grass often forms colonies of plants.

"The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil that is muddy, sandy, or gravelly. Shallow water is tolerated. The easiest way to start new plants is by division of the vegetative shoots.

Edible Uses: Unknown

Medicinal Uses: Unknown

Other Uses: "The stems are woven to make matting and ropes. The small rushes have been used in making woven mats and storage bags. The fruiting tops of the plant have been used as a resilient material for stuffing and making pillows."

Herbal Uses: Unknown