Practical
Plants

Phleum pratense

Timothy

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Genus
Phleum
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

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

Two allergens producing strong skin reactions and a haemaglutinating action have been isolated from timothy pollen. The pollen contains several flavonol-glycosides, among them dactylin (isorhamnetin-31,4-diglucoside)[4].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

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

Stored sterile timothy extracts arrested the growth of Sarcoma 45 and other tumour types[4].

Product or use
Cancer

Material uses

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

The stems have been used to make hair brushes[3]. The plant can yield up to 15 tonnes of plant material per hectare and is a potential source of biomass[4].

Product or use
Hair care
Product or use
Biomass

Environment

Range
Britain.
Habitat
Common in meadows throughout Britain, though rare in the north[1].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow spring in situ, only just covering the seed. If seed is in short supply, it can be surface sown in a pot in a cold frame. Ensure the pot does not dry out. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant out in the summer. Division in spring.

Cultivation

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

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in a sunny position in any ordinary soil[2]. The plant is not drought tolerant[4]. Timothy grass is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 35 to 176cm, an annual temperature range of 4.4 to 18.6°C, and a pH of 4.5 to 7.8[4]. The plant is best adapted to a cool, humid, temperate climate, growing best on rather heavy, deep and moist or even wet soils[4]. Yields are lower on light dry soils and sands[4]. The optimum temperature for growth is 18.3° - 21.6°C varying with day/night temperatures of 15°/10°C and 21°/15°C[4]. Timothy grass is a very variable species that is commonly grown as a hay grass. Several named forms have been develped[1][4]. A short-lived perennial it is a common cause of hayfever[3]. An attractive addition to the wild flower meadow, the inflorescence dries and dyes well so is used in dried flower displays[2].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

  3. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  4. Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

Edit this page