Common Name: Slender Oat

General Information

Avena barbata is an erect, annual grass producing one or more culms 30 - 100cm tall.
The seed is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food - though usually only in times of shortage or mixed as a weed with other grain crops.
Avena barbata is reported as being invasive in many parts of the world including Africa, the Americas, northern Europe, New Zealand and Australia. The plant was widely introduced to North America and other European countries both intentionally, as a fodder crop, and unintentionally in contaminated seed mixtures. It has spread widely in North America where it has been reported to displace native grass species. It is recorded as a noxious weed in the USA. In Australia, it outcompetes native grasses and forms a fibrous root system. It can also alter the fire regime of an area[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Throughout the Mediterranean region, Arabian Peninsula, east to central Asia, Afghanistan and the Himalayas

Habitat

Dry wasteland, cultivated ground and meadows, especially on heavier soils[, ].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Wind, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Avena brabata prefers warm temperate climates, both with or without a dry season, and can also succeed in continental climates with their cold winters and often hot summers[].
Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in full sun[]. The plant can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions but it thrives in poorer draining soils[]. Tolerant of poor soils[].
A tetraploid species, it is rarely cultivated for its edible seed[, ].
Oats are in general easily grown plants but, especially when grown on a small scale, the seed is often completely eaten out by birds. Some sort of netting seems to be the best answer on a garden scale.

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[]. Rather small[]. The seed ripens in the latter half of summer and, when harvested and dried, can store for several years. It has a floury texture and a mild, somewhat creamy flavour. It can be used as a staple food crop in either savoury or sweet dishes. The seed can be cooked whole, though it is more commonly ground into a flour and used as a cereal in all the ways that oats are used, especially as a porridge but also to make biscuits, sourdough bread etc. The seed can also be sprouted and eaten raw or cooked in salads, stews etc.
The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The straw has a wide range of uses such as for bio-mass, fibre, mulch, paper-making and thatching[]. Some caution is advised in its use as a mulch since oat straw can infest strawberries with stem and bulb eelworm.

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in early spring or in the autumn. Only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Seeds can germinate in low moisture conditions[].