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Poaceae FAMILY

Dactylis glomerata

Dactylis glomerata

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

This plant is an important cause of hayfever[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Perennial
Growth—

Dactylis glomerata has a large climatic range, succeeding both in areas with very hot summers and in areas with cold winters and heavy frosts. It prefers an annual temperature range from 4.3 - 23.8°c, and is known to withstand temperatures down to around -25°c when dormant[2, 3]. Plants prefer a mean annual precipitation in the range of 480 - 750mm, but will tolerate 310 - 1760mm[3]. Grows best in a sunny position, but also tolerates shade well - for example under the shade of trees in old orchards[4, 5, 6, 7]. Succeeds in most good soils and also tolerates poor, dry soils[3, 7]. Whilst one report says that the plant refers a light well-drained soil, and does not thrive on heavy or poorly drained soils[2], another says that it grows on almost any type of soil, but thrives best on heavier types, such as clays and clay loams[3]. Succeeds in soils with a pH in the range of 4.5 to 8.2[3]. A drought-resistant plant, it will withstand high temperatures. Prefers areas with 480-750 mm annual rainfall, but will produce on rather poor dry soils[3]. Plants are hardy in all parts of Britain, though they are less winter-hardy than Phleum pratense or Bromus inermis and do not extend as far north in Europe[3]. A very variable plant[4]. There are both diploid and triploid forms[1]. Numerous strains have been developed, some coarse and stemmy, others good for hay and early grazing. Local ecotypes in the Mediterranean region are adapted to long hot dry summers. In Europe two types have been developed, one for pasture and one for hay. Pasture types produce more basal leaves and generally are more spreading than the hay types. Selections made in Canada, Sweden and Finland are improved for winter hardiness. Improved strains are more leafy, persistent and later flowering than unimproved commercial types[3]. An important food plant for the caterpillars of several lepidoptera species[8]. The plant is occasionally grown for lawns and is particularly well adapted for growing under shade[3]. However, this species does not make a good lawn grass because it is too coarse[4].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a cold frame in the spring and do not allow the compost to dry out[6]. Germination should take place within three weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. There is between 725,000 and 1,450,000 seeds per kilo[3]. If you have sufficient seed it can be sown outdoors in situ in the spring. Division in spring[6]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Dactylis+glomerata>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]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.
  2. [2]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.
  3. [3]Handbook of Energy Crops — Duke. J. · - · 1983 · https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/dukeindex.html · ISBN - ↩︎Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
  4. [4]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  5. [5]The Useful Plants of Great Britain. — Johnson. C. P. ↩︎Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.
  6. [6]Ornamental Grasses. — Grounds. R. · Christopher Helm · 1989 · ISBN 0-7470-1219-9 ↩︎Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated.
  7. [7]Grassland Species - Profiles — http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/Default.htm ↩︎Terse information on over 650 species of plants that grow in grassland, including trees, shrubs and perennial plants as well as grasses. Gives a brief description of the plant, its range and habitat and some of its uses.
  8. [8]Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. — Carter D. · Pan · 1982 · ISBN 0-330-26642-x ↩︎An excellent book on Lepidoptera, it also lists their favourite food plants.
  9. [9]Invasive Species Compendium — http://www.cabi.org ↩︎An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
  10. [10]Flora of the British Isles. — Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. · Cambridge University Press · 1962 · ISBN - ↩︎A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
  11. [11]Wild vascular plants gathered for consumption in the Polish countryside: a review — Luczaj L. & Szymański W.M. · 2007 · http:// http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/3/1/17 ↩︎An excellent concise guide to the use of edible wild plants in Poland with references to enable further study.