Uniola paniculata

Sea Oats

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Taxonomy and growth

Family: Gramineae
Genus: Uniola
Life cycle: perennial
Height: 2.5 m
Fertility: Wind
Flower type: hermaphrodite
Pollinators: Wind

Uses

Edible uses

Seed - cooked and eaten as a cereal^[2]^[3]. Said to have a very good flavour^[3].

Plant part: Seed

Material uses

The spreading root system of this plant make it useful for stabilizing drifting coastal sand dunes^[1]^[4]^[5].

Ecology and functions

Environment

Range: Eastern N. America - Virginia to Texas and Mexico.
Habitat: Sandhills and drifting sands on the coast^[6]. Also found on salt flats^[4].
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: light shade
Water: moderate
Hardiness: Zone 7+
Soil textures: sandy, loamy
Soil pH: acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerances: high wind, maritime exposure
Wind: Yes
Maritime: Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: intolerant
Salinity: tolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in situ and only just cover the seed^[1]. Division in spring^[4].

Cultivation

Prefers a moist sandy soil, tolerating some shade^[4]. Tolerates maritime exposure and saline soils^[4]. An invasive plant, spreading freely by means of its rhizomes^[5], but it is very ornamental^[4]. and is well worth a place in the garden.

References

F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
↩1 ↩2
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
↩
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
↩1 ↩2
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
↩1 ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6
Hitchcock. A. S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States Dover Publications. New York. 1971-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22717-0
↩1 ↩2
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00
↩

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