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Poaceae FAMILY

Andropogon virginicus

Andropogon virginicus

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Requires a light porous sandy soil in full sun[1]. Plants are often found in very acid soils in the wild[2]. They grow well on low-fertility soils, especially those on eroded, 'worn-out' fields[3]. The plant usually starts flowering in its second or third year of growth from seed[3]. At the end of the growing season, nearly all green material on the plant dies, leaving a large accumulation of standing dead material which is easily set on fire[3]. The plant sometimes forms continuous cover in boggy, open mesic or dry habitats. It releases highly persistent allelopathic substances which inhibit competition. The dead material provides an excellent fuel for fires, whilst the plant itself is stimulated by the fire, it thus increases its coverage of the area dramatically with each fire. In areas where it occurs, both fire intensities and acreage burnt have increased[4].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in early spring in a greenhouse. A period of cold stratification improves germination times and rates[3]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for the first winter in a cold greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Andropogon+virginicus>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]Manual of the Grasses of the United States — Hitchcock. A. S. · Dover Publications. New York. · 1971 · ISBN 0-486-22717-0 ↩︎A nice and comprehensive flora, though a bit dated. Good line drawings of each plant, plus a brief idea of the habitat and a few notes on plant uses. Not for the casual reader.
  3. [3]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
  4. [4]Global Invasive Species Database — http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/ ↩︎Very detailed information on almost 400 species (with more being added) of plants that have become weeds in areas outside their native range.
  5. [5]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
  6. [6]Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas — Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J · Botanical Research Institute, Texas. · 1999 · http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm · ISBN 1-889878-01-4 ↩︎An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
  7. [7]A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. — Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. · Houghton Mifflin Co. · 1990 · ISBN 0395467225 ↩︎A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
  8. [8]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.