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Old 05-06-2011, 09:55 PM posted to alt.home.lawn.garden
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Default Please Identify this grass.

This grass suddenly caught my attention this Spring. I don't remember it
being there last year, since I do not mow in that area. In any event, it
was never this high or robust.
It is near the woods at the back of my property.
I doesn't resemble any of the grass seed I use and doesn't appear to be
a weed.
The leaves are about 3 feet long and cascade like a water fountain.
The seed heads are lower than the height of the leaves. They are down
inside the cluster. Usually, with grass or weeds, the seed heads grow
above the height of the leaves. Note the center 'seam' running the
length of the blades.
This is not one clump of grass, there are 4 or 5 clumps there.
It appears to be more of an ornamental grass plant than lawn grass, but
I have never planted an ornamental grass plant anywhere on my property
and I don't see any of this grass on my neighbors property.
I tried looking it up on the web and the nearest I came to was
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed), but I live in NY.
I like it, and even if it is a weed, I'm thinking of splitting it up and
replanting it somewhere else on my property

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...scn0362xw.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/dscn0363w.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/dscn0359n.jpg/

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @
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Old 06-06-2011, 12:53 AM posted to alt.home.lawn.garden
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Posts: 316
Default Please Identify this grass.

Eggs Zachtly wrote the following:
willshak said:


This grass suddenly caught my attention this Spring. I don't remember it
being there last year, since I do not mow in that area. In any event, it
was never this high or robust.
It is near the woods at the back of my property.
I doesn't resemble any of the grass seed I use and doesn't appear to be
a weed.
The leaves are about 3 feet long and cascade like a water fountain.
The seed heads are lower than the height of the leaves. They are down
inside the cluster. Usually, with grass or weeds, the seed heads grow
above the height of the leaves. Note the center 'seam' running the
length of the blades.
This is not one clump of grass, there are 4 or 5 clumps there.
It appears to be more of an ornamental grass plant than lawn grass, but
I have never planted an ornamental grass plant anywhere on my property
and I don't see any of this grass on my neighbors property.
I tried looking it up on the web and the nearest I came to was
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed), but I live in NY.
I like it, and even if it is a weed, I'm thinking of splitting it up and
replanting it somewhere else on my property

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...scn0362xw.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/dscn0363w.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/dscn0359n.jpg/


The seedheads are still immature. That's why they're still "lower than the
height of the 'blades'".

That being said, I doubt it to be /S. heterolepis/. It's WAY too early for the
seedheads to be forming. More likely, it's a variety of /Pennisetum/ (possibly
/P. alopecuroides/). Pics of the seedheads, when they mature, will help. =)


Thanks. If it is that P. alopecuroides, then it is an ornamental grass.
But i have no idea where they came from.
Also, they recommend covering the plants in the winter. They weren't
covered and we had daytime temps of 20º for days.
Anyway, it's going to be an ornamental plant for my purposes.
I just wanted to know in case someone asks what it is.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @
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Old 06-06-2011, 01:36 AM posted to alt.home.lawn.garden
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Posts: 846
Default Please Identify this grass.

willshak said:

This grass suddenly caught my attention this Spring. I don't remember it
being there last year, since I do not mow in that area. In any event, it
was never this high or robust.
It is near the woods at the back of my property.
I doesn't resemble any of the grass seed I use and doesn't appear to be
a weed.
The leaves are about 3 feet long and cascade like a water fountain.
The seed heads are lower than the height of the leaves. They are down
inside the cluster. Usually, with grass or weeds, the seed heads grow
above the height of the leaves. Note the center 'seam' running the
length of the blades.
This is not one clump of grass, there are 4 or 5 clumps there.
It appears to be more of an ornamental grass plant than lawn grass, but
I have never planted an ornamental grass plant anywhere on my property
and I don't see any of this grass on my neighbors property.
I tried looking it up on the web and the nearest I came to was
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed), but I live in NY.
I like it, and even if it is a weed, I'm thinking of splitting it up and
replanting it somewhere else on my property

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...scn0362xw.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/dscn0363w.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/dscn0359n.jpg/


The seedheads are still immature. That's why they're still "lower than the
height of the 'blades'".

That being said, I doubt it to be /S. heterolepis/. It's WAY too early for the
seedheads to be forming. More likely, it's a variety of /Pennisetum/ (possibly
/P. alopecuroides/). Pics of the seedheads, when they mature, will help. =)
--

Eggs

-A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
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Old 06-06-2011, 03:57 AM posted to alt.home.lawn.garden
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Posts: 846
Default Please Identify this grass.

willshak said:

Eggs Zachtly wrote the following:
willshak said:


This grass suddenly caught my attention this Spring. I don't remember it
being there last year, since I do not mow in that area. In any event, it
was never this high or robust.
It is near the woods at the back of my property.
I doesn't resemble any of the grass seed I use and doesn't appear to be
a weed.
The leaves are about 3 feet long and cascade like a water fountain.
The seed heads are lower than the height of the leaves. They are down
inside the cluster. Usually, with grass or weeds, the seed heads grow
above the height of the leaves. Note the center 'seam' running the
length of the blades.
This is not one clump of grass, there are 4 or 5 clumps there.
It appears to be more of an ornamental grass plant than lawn grass, but
I have never planted an ornamental grass plant anywhere on my property
and I don't see any of this grass on my neighbors property.
I tried looking it up on the web and the nearest I came to was
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed), but I live in NY.
I like it, and even if it is a weed, I'm thinking of splitting it up and
replanting it somewhere else on my property

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...scn0362xw.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/dscn0363w.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/dscn0359n.jpg/


The seedheads are still immature. That's why they're still "lower than the
height of the 'blades'".

That being said, I doubt it to be /S. heterolepis/. It's WAY too early for the
seedheads to be forming. More likely, it's a variety of /Pennisetum/ (possibly
/P. alopecuroides/). Pics of the seedheads, when they mature, will help. =)


Thanks. If it is that P. alopecuroides, then it is an ornamental grass.


Yes. The most common, invasive one. =)

But i have no idea where they came from.


Wind? Birds? Wind + Birds? Grass seed's pretty light, man. It'll carry farther
than you think. (This is just a light, little ol' grass seed. After the Joplin
tornado, they found x-rays from the destroyed hospital, 70 miles away. How far
ya think a grass seed would carry in a thunderstorm? g) When the seeds on this
particular plant ripen, have a close look at them. It's probably got a pretty
ingenious delivery system. Through millions of years of evolution, it was able
to finally target your property. That's how it starts, you know. In three years,
you'll be starting a "How the eff do I kill this stuff?!?" thread. =)

Also, they recommend covering the plants in the winter. They weren't
covered and we had daytime temps of 20º for days.


/Pennisetum/'s pretty tough. The winter temp here regularly stays below 10 for
the daytime high for days, sometimes weeks, at a time. The grass survives (and
adds cool winter interest to the landscape). If you don't mind the turf grass
looking like shit (cause this stuff's gonna reseed, and it's a GRASS, so a
broadleaf weed killer won't take it out). Just food for thought, before adopting
a wild grass.

Anyway, it's going to be an ornamental plant for my purposes.
I just wanted to know in case someone asks what it is.


I wouldn't call it a positive id, until you see the ripened seedheads. =)
--

Eggs

When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a
nail.
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