- The sweet grass - a profile
- Known species of sweet grass as an ornamental plant
- Sweet grasses as useful plants
- Annual and perennial grasses
Sweet grasses belong to one of the largest plant families of all. There are countless species that can cope with a wide variety of climates and locations. In Germany, sweet grasses play an important role as a staple food and as an ornamental plant in the garden.
Not all sweet grass is the same; there are countless different varieties
The sweet grass - a profile
- Botanical name: Poaceae = Gramineae
- Family: sweet grasses
- Subdivision: seed plants, flowering plants
- Occurrence: worldwide
- Species: about 12,000 in 780 genera
- Locations: among others: meadows, forests, deserts, savannas, dunes
- Height: 10cm to 400cm
- Annual / perennial:
- Flower: spikes
- Flowering time: depends on the species
- Fruits: mostly nuts, occasionally berries or drupes
- leaves: opposite, bipartite: leaf-sheath and leaf-blade
- Propagation: seed dispersal by wind, rarely by rhizomes
- Toxicity: almost never toxic
- Usage: food, ornamental plant in garden
- Hardiness: Most species are hardy
Known species of sweet grass as an ornamental plant
Sweet grasses are grown in the garden because of their filigree growth. Since some species, such as bamboo or reeds, grow very tall, they are also well suited as privacy screens on fences or for greening ponds.
Well-known types of sweet grass in the garden are: all ornamental grasses including Japanese grass and pampas grass, all types of reeds, all types of bamboo.
Sweet grasses as useful plants
Sweet grasses are among the oldest foods in the world. Some species are also cultivated in Germany. All grains - rye, oats, wheat, barley, and millet - are sweet grasses.
In Asia, rice, also a sweet grass plant, is a staple food.
The seeds of the sweet grasses contain a lot of starch. They are either ground into flour, crushed or cooked and eaten as a whole grain.
Annual and perennial grasses
Sweet grasses can be annual or perennial. All cereals are annuals and die off after one season.
Other species such as bamboo, reeds and ornamental grasses are perennial and can live for many years.
Bamboo is a special feature. In contrast to other sweet grasses, its stems become woody. When bamboo blooms, it dies after flowering, even if it is many years old.
tips
Sweet grass pollen is carried by the wind. For allergy sufferers, the flowering period can become a major burden. Because species bloom at different times, pollen calendars help identify times when pollen counts.