Elymus glauca
Blue Wild Rye
a perennial member of the Elymus genus in the family Gramineae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - cooked[2][3]. It can be ground into a flour and used to make bread. Very fiddly to use, the seed is small and difficult to extract[K].
- Plant part
- Seed
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The leaves are used for making mats, rope, paper etc. Often planted near the coast to stabilize sand dunes.
- Product or use
- Weaving
Ecology and functions
Environment
- Range
- N. America - Ontario and Michigan to British Columbia, south to Colorado and California.
- Habitat
- Moist or dry open thickets and shores[6].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerances
- high wind, maritime exposure
- Wind
- Yes
- Maritime
- Yes
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow mid spring in situ and only just cover the seed[4]. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. If the supply of seed is limited, it can also be sown in mid spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in summer[K] Division in spring or summer[4]. 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.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils, preferring a sandy soil and a sunny position[1][4].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9
Hitchcock. A. S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States Dover Publications. New York. 1971-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22717-0
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00