Dichanthelium clandestinum
Dichanthelium clandestinum
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Requires a sunny position, growing best in a moist, well0drained, sandy soil of moderate fertility. Tolerant of dry, sandy soils of low fertility. Plants can tolerate a pH as low as 3.8[1]. Very tolerant of high levels of aluminium in the soil[1]. Two seed crops are produced annually: an early crop is produced from erect culms with on an open terminal panicle; in late summer to autumn a later crop is produced in a panicle enclosed in the swollen leaf sheath. The second crop, produced in the enclosed panicle, produces an abundance of seed[1]. At least one cultivar has been developed for land reclamation purposes[1]. 'Tioga' has been specifically selected for conditions in northeastern USA[1]. Plants can be mown up to twice a year[1].
Propagation
Seed - if sowing in situ, this should be carried out in early spring since any seed dormancy is easily overcome by natural stratification in the soil. If site conditions restrict early spring planting, it is advisable to sow seed in late autumn or early winter, while dormant[1]. If only small quantities of seed are available, sow in a tray in a cold greenhouse, preferably in the winter. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, but not before early spring. Plant out when 15cm or more tall[PFAF]. Seedlings can be slow to establish[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Dichanthelium+clandestinum>
Pollinators
Wind
References
- [1]Plants Database — United States Department of Agriculture · http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet ↩︎An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
- [2]Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition — Fernald. M. L. · American Book Co.; New York · 1950 · ISBN 0442222505 ↩︎A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
- [3]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.
- [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎