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Phalaris arundinacea - L.

Canary Grass

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1.5m by 3m at a fast rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry moist or wet soil.

Habitats

Ground Cover; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

Biomass; Ground cover; Pollution; Weaving.

Plants have a running root system and form an impenetrable ground cover. They should be mown 2 - 3 times in their first 2 - 3 years in order to encourage thick growth[200]. Plants are best spaced about 60cm apart each way[208]. The leaves have been woven into hats and mats[257]. his is one of the main species used in the reed bed system for the water purification treatment of grey water and for irrigation with pollution control sewage effluent from municipal and industrial sources[269]. One of the highest yielding fodder grasses with annual yields ranging from 8 - 20 tonnes per hectare, it has potential as a source of biomass[269].

Cultivation details

A very easy plant to grow, it succeeds in ordinary garden soil[187], though it grows best on moist sandy soils, rich in organic matter[269]. It also does well on fertile loams and clays[269]. Succeeds in most soils, whether dry or wet[200] and is moderately tolerant of drought[269]. It does not like saline soils[269]. The plant is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 30 to 260cm, an annual temperature in the range of of 5 to 23°C and a pH of 4.5 to 8.2[269]. Plants can be very invasive, especially in moist conditions, there dense growth provides good cover for water fowl[200]. Plants are hardy to at least -20°c[187, 200]. This is one of the first grasses to come into growth in the spring[269]. There are many named forms, selected mainly for their ornamental value[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring[200]. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Cultivars

There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. 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.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

[269] Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983
Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of plants.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Phalaris arundinacea

stephanie Clemens Mon Jul 18 17:06:46 2005

This plant is an invasive weed in many places. Please do not plant it!

Phalaris arundinacea

Harpo Fri Feb 3 2006

The very strong hallucinogen N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (commonly called DMT) can be extracted from this plant.

DMT World Methods for extraction of DMT from Phalaris A. and other plant sources

Phalaris arundinacea

Ray Mon Oct 1 2007

Can I plant this in the ground in the fall in NC coastal area?

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