The deschampsia genus is more commonly known as hair grass or tussock grass, because of the distinctive wild and fuzzy clumps in which it grows. It is able to thrive in some of the most rugged environments and there are believed to be between 30 and 40 species worldwide.The attraction of deschampsia varieties lies in their explosive vitality and the eye-catching tones of their flower-heads and their foliage. Deschampsia cespitosa, or “Tufted Hair Grass”, for instance, boasts evergreen foliage tipped with a lively “fountain” of silver-purple flower-heads, while the “Northern Lights” variety, Deschampsia caespitosa, has a startling spray of spiky reddish-gold leaves.Plants of the deschampsia genus prefer to be in light shade, so unless these grasses are to be grown in pots or planters, many gardeners prefer to use them in borders, marking off the different spaces of shrubs and perennial plants, or together with ferns or hostas.