Sporobolus cynosuroides
Sporobolus cynosuroides
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Succeeds in fresh or salt water marshes and in ordinary garden soil[1]. Prefers a deep rich moist soil in sun or light shade[2]. Adaptable to a range of growing conditions, including arable soils, cut over peats, waterlogged and brackish soil, and it is able to produce higher yields than most natural grasses with a low input on fertiliser[3]. This species photosynthesizes by a more efficient method than most plants[3]. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions.
Propagation
Seed - sow in a greenhouse in spring and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Plant out in the summer if sufficient growth has been made, otherwise overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out in the following spring. Division in spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Sporobolus+cynosuroides>
Pollinators
Wind
References
- [1]Ornamental Grasses. — Grounds. R. · Christopher Helm · 1989 · ISBN 0-7470-1219-9 ↩︎Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated.
- [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]The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database — http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm ↩︎An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.