Milium effusum
| Milium effusum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Milium effusum (common name: wood millet)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ[1].
Division in spring. Very easy, large divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation: Requires a fertile moist but well-drained soil[2] in a shady position[1]. Succeeds in dry shade, tolerating drought when established[3].
Plants are hardy to about -20°c[4].
Plants are tufted with a short rootstock and are short-lived[4]. They often self-sow[2].
At least one named form has been selected for its ornamental value[4].
Range: Europe, including Britain but excluding the Mediterranean, east to Siberia and the Himalayas..
Habitat: Damp shady woods, especially oak and beech[5][6], on heavy humus rich lime soils[2].
Edibility: Seed - cooked. Ground into a powder and used as a flour for making bread[7][8][9].
Usage: Leaves (straw) are used for weaving hats etc[7].
Plants have a running root system and can be used for ground cover. They should be mown 2 - 3 times in their first 2 - 3 years in order to encourage thick growth[2]. Plants should be spaced about 30cm apart each way[10].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Grounds, Roger. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm, 1989.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chatto, Beth. The Damp Garden. Dent, 1982.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.