Eragrostis curvula
| Eragrostis curvula | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 4' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Eragrostis curvula (common name: weeping love grass)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.
The seed can also be sown in situ in mid to late spring, though in a cool summer it may fail to ripen many seeds[1].
Division in spring.
Cultivation: Easily grown in most well-drained soils so long as the plant is in a hot, dry, sunny position[2]. Weeping love grass is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation of 31 to 163cm, an annual temperature range of 5.9 to 26.2°C and a pH in the range of 5.0 to 8.2[3]. It is adapted to semi-arid and desert areas and sandy soils, growing well on low fertility soils[3]. A very drought-resistant plant, but it lacks hardiness for more northern areas[3]. It grows well on a wide range of well-drained soils, especially sandy loams; moderately frost-resistant in southern areas[3].
Plants are hardy to about -5°c and succeed outdoors in the milder areas of Britain[2].
The roots contain pyrocatechol, suggesting an explanation for the plants resistance to nematodes[3].
The species and its varieties are apomictic (producing seed without fertilization) although sexual plants have occasionally been found[3].
Range: S. Africa - north to Zimbabwe and the Transvaal.
Edibility: Seed - cooked[3]. Used as a grain[3].
Usage: A deep-rooted plant, it is considered excellent for protecting terraces and for grassing water channels and is valuable for erosion control[3].
In Lesotho, the plant is used to make baskets, brooms, hats, ropes, and candles[3].
Pollinators: Apomictic, wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
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