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A broad leaved tropical grass that will grow to 2m in a suitable climate - it has only managed a quarter of that here.
I grow it in the greenhouse and it just survives (so far). It gets damaged in winter but recovers slowly as temperatures
rise. I was told that it will seed about and I am a little nervous of introducing another weed into the greenhouse but I think I have overestimated the risk. I was never really overwhelmed by its charms. It produced a few seedlings about the place but eventually showed that it was prepared to die out in the hedychium house. I discovered that I was prepared to let it. Plants of the World online says: "The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical Asia to E. Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine, has environmental uses and social uses and for food." The Big Plant Nursery say: "Setaria palmifolia often known as the ‘Palm Grass’ is exactly as the common name describes a very exotic looking grass that does indeed look like a bushy long leafed palm. Growing widely around the warmer parts of the world this semi evergreen grass is usually considered as half hardy at best being generally grown as a house or conservatory plant. What we have here is a bit of a surprise as this particular form ‘CHB 2017’ is showing remarkable adaptability to cooler climes and looks set to be a big favourite here in the U.K to lovers of jungly large leafed plants. We have trialed it outside in our soggy West Sussex clay for the past 2 winters and are happy to report it has survived both, Ok in a sheltered spot but we consider this fairly amazing for such a tropical looking plant. Our plant has reached about a metre high being quiet bushy too, the leaves brown during frost with just the base of the plant remaining green. New growth emerges in late spring with growth being rapid during the warmer months. In warm conditions it can reach 2 metres high and almost as much wide." |
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