Practical
Plants

Corema conradii

Poverty Grass

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Corema genus in the family Empetraceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Corema
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.25 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
dioecious

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - raw or cooked[1][4]. The fruit is very small and dry, less than 3mm in diameter[5].

Plant part
Fruit

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Massachusetts and New Jersey, usually near the coast.
Habitat
Dry sandy places, pine barrens and siliceous rocks.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 5 months warm stratification followed by 3 months at 5°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, November in a frame.

Cultivation

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

Requires a light or medium lime-free soil[2][3], succeeding in full sun or light shade[3]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed and fruit is required[3].

References

  1. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

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  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  3. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

  5. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

    ↩

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