Distichlis spicata

Cultivation Details

Distichlis spicata grows in a wide range of environments. It requires a minimum growing season of 80 frost-free days for growth. It can be found in the extremely arid Death Valley region of California, where annual precipitation is as low as 19mm and an air temperature of 57°c has been recorded. Conversely, it also occurs in Yellowstone National Park, where the mean annual precipitation can be as high as 2,030 mm. It is also found on the mixed-grass prairies of Alberta and Saskatchewan where temperatures can dip to -48°c in winter^[1]. The plant requires a sunny position^[1]. It is usually found in fine-textured soils, often low in oxygen^[1]. It prefers a moist environment, tolerating occasional flooding, but can also withstand considerable drought^[1]. Plants grow well in alkaline soils and are extremely tolerant of saline soils, succeeding where salinity levels can be more than 8%, though it then grows in a dwarfed form^[1]. Plants are usually found on soils with a pH ranging from 6.8 - 9.2, exceptionally tolerating 10.9^[1]. Saltgrass grows in highly stressful environments where it is frequently subjected to temperature, drought, and salt stress or in tidal salt marshes where its entire above-ground biomass is periodically inundated with sea water^[1]. The rhizomes have sharp points with numerous epidermal silica cells that aid in the penetration of heavy soils^[1].