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Common Name:

General Information

Glyceria borealis is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Northern N. America - Newfoundland to Alaska, south to New York, Minnesota, Iowa and Oregon.

Habitat

Wet places or shallow water[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. It will require wet conditions or shallow water.
There must be some doubt over the validity of this name. The species is said to have a synonym of Panicularia fluitans, this name is also given as a synonym of G. fluitans and it is possible that G. borealis is no more than a synonym of G. fluitans[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked. Ground into a flour and used as a cereal[, , ]. The seed is very small and fiddly to harvest[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse in a pot standing in 3 - 5cm of water. Surface sow the seed, or only just cover it. Germination should take place within 3 weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.