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Common Name: Chinese Fountain Grass

General Information

Pennisetum alopecuroides is a Deciduous Perennial up to 1.20 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea and northeast India.

Habitat

Grassy places and waste ground in lowland all over Japan[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Perennial
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a light well-drained soil in a sunny position[]. Succeeds in dry soils and, once established, tolerates drought[].
This species is only hardy in the mild areas of Britain[]. Plants are growing well at Cambridge botanical gardens, which is certainly not one of the milder areas of the country[]. There are many named varieties selected for their ornamental value[].
Plants do not flower freely in Britain except in warm sunny autumns[]. Older clumps are more shy of flowering than young clumps[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked. It can be ground into a powder and used as a flour[]. An emergency food, used when all else fails[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Plants form impenetrably dense clumps and when planted close together in drifts make an excellent ground cover[]. They are best spaced about 45cm apart each way[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 3 weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring. 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.