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Poaceae FAMILY

Lolium perenne

Lolium perenne

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
1/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Perennial
GrowthFast

Adapted to mild, humid temperate climates, this species grows best on rather heavy, rich, moist soils, but also does well on well-manured lighter soils with sufficient moisture[1]. It dislikes shade and requires a well-drained soil[2]. It prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, though it can tolerate a range from 4.5 - 8.2[1]. Plants are moderately drought resistant, they tolerate atmspheric pollution and salt in the soil, and can also succeed when planted on minespoil[1]. They prefer an annual precipitation in the range of 21 - 176cm[1]. Many cultivars have been developed by selection of individual plants, clones and families for specific purposes, such as for lawns, pastures and hay[1]. A fast growing plant, it combines particularly well with white clover (Trifolium repens)[1].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in the spring. It is also possible to sow the seed in situ in the autumn in most parts of Britain. This will give larger plants and heavier yields. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Lolium+perenne>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]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.
  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]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  4. [4]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  5. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎