Practical
Plants

Ammophila arenaria

Marram Grass

a perennial member of the Ammophila genus in the family Gramineae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.2 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root[8]. No more details, but the root is rather thin and fibrous[K].

Plant part
Root

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The flowering stems and leaves are used for thatching, in basketry, making brooms etc[6][7][1]. The rhizomes are used for making rope and mats[2]. A fibre obtained from the stems is used for making paper[4]. The stems are harvested in the summer, cut into usable pieces and soaked for 24 hours in clear water before cooking for 2 hours with soda ash. Beat the fibres in a ball mill for 1½ hours. The fibres make a tan-brown paper[4]. This plant has an extensive root system and grows naturally in sand dunes along the coast where it is very important for its action of binding the dunes and therefore allowing other plants to grow. It is much planted in sand dunes and other similar habitats for erosion control[5].

Product or use
Basketry
Product or use
Broom
Product or use
Fibre
Product or use
Paper
Product or use
Thatching
Product or use
Weaving

Environment

Range
W. Europe, including Britain.
Habitat
Sand dunes by the coast[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure, drought
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in pots outdoors as soon as it is ripe or sow in situ during March/April. Division in spring or autumn.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. Very tolerant of severe maritime exposure[3]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 to 6.8.

References

  1. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

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  2. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

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  3. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  6. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  7. Freethy. R. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-946284-51-2

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  8. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

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