Practical
Plants

Poa fendleriana

Mutton Grass

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

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Genus
Poa
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.5 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

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

Seed - cooked[1][2][6]. A mild flavour, the seed can be cooked in stews etc, or can be ground into a powder and used in making bread, porridges, dumplings or whatever[257, K]. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails[3]. The seed is rather small and fiddly to harvest[K].

Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
Western N. America - British Columbia to Manitoba, south to California, Texas and Mexico.
Habitat
Sagebrush desert to wooded areas at mid elevations on mountains and occasionally on dry ridges in the south of its range[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - surface sow in the spring in a cold frame. Do not allow the compost to dry out. 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 the spring. Very easy, 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.

Cultivation

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

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. The plant is dioecious, male and female plants will have to be grown if seed is required. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any well-drained moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[4].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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

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  5. Hitchcock. A. S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States Dover Publications. New York. 1971-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22717-0

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

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  7. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

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