Barley, Common barley
Hordeum vulgare

Family: Poaceae or Gramineae

What it is like

Hordeum vulgare is a ANNUAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Not known in the wild, it is found in Britain as a relict of cultivation but does not persist.

Of uncertain origin.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Seed - cooked as a whole grain or ground up and used as a flour for making bread, porridges etc. It has a low gluten content and so is unsuitable for making wheat-type breads. The seed can be fermented into sourdough and many other fermented foods such as 'tempeh' and 'miso'. The seed can also be sprouted and added to salads or the sprouted seed juiced and the juice drunk as a health-food drink. The decorticated seed is called pearl barley. This is no longer viable since the decortication process damages the embryo. It is used in soups, stews etc. Malt is obtained by sprouting the whole seed and then roasting it. The seed is then ground into a flour and boiled in water. The resulting liquid is very sweet and can be used in making beer or other drinks, and as a nutritious sweetener in various foods.. The roasted (unsprouted) seed is used as a coffee and a salt substitute.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.

Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.

Salt: plants that provide a substitute for salt.

Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.

Medicine

Rating: 3

The shoots are diuretic. The seed sprouts are demulcent, expectorant, galactofuge, lenitive and stomachic. They are sometimes abortifacient. They are used in the treatment of dyspepsia caused by cereals, infantile lacto-dyspepsia, regurgitation of milk and breast distension. They are best not given to a nursing mother since this can reduce milk flow. The seed is digestive, emollient, nutritive, febrifuge and stomachic. It is taken internally as a nutritious food or as barley water (an infusion of the germinated seed in water) and is of special use for babies and invalids. Its use is said to reduce excessive lactation. Barley is also used as a poultice for burns and wounds. The plant has a folk history of antitumour activity. The germinating seed has a hypoglycaemic effect preceded by a hyperglycaemic action. Modern research has shown that barley may be of aid in the treatment of hepatitis, whilst other trials have shown that it may help to control diabetes. Barley bran may have the effect of lowering blood cholesterol levels and preventing bowel cancer. Other uses for bronchitis and diarrhoea, and as a source of folic acid and vitamin B12 and B6. Weight loss.

Abortifacient: Causes an abortion.

Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Demulcent: Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.

Digestive: Aids digestion.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Emollient: Softens the skin, causing warmth and moisture.

Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Galactofuge: Stops or reduces the flow of milk in a nursing mother.

Hypoglycaemic: Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.

Lenitive: Soothing, palliative.

Nutritive: A food for convalescents to help restore strength.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating: 0

The stems, after the seed has been harvested, have many uses. They are a source of fibres for making paper, a biomass for fuel etc, they can be shredded and used as a mulch.

Biomass: Provides a large quantity of plant material that can be converted into fuel etc.

Mulch: Used for covering the ground to conserve the nutrients in the soil.

Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.

Staple Crop: Balanced carb: (0-15 percent protein, 0-15 percent oil, with at least one over 5 percent). The carbohydrates are from either starch or sugar. Annuals include maize, wheat, rice, and potato. Perennials include chestnuts, carob, perennial fruits, nuts, cereals, pseudocereals, woody pods, and acorns.

Under Development: Plant breeders are actively working to domesticate these plants for cultivation, but they are not yet commercially available as crops. Examples include most of the perennial cereal grains.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Succeeds in most soils and in climates ranging from sub-arctic to sub-tropical. Easily grown in light soils. Prefers a calcareous soil. Best grown in a sunny position. Barley first came under cultivation about 12,000 years ago. It is widely cultivated in Temperate areas of the world for its edible seed, there are many named varieties. It succeeds further north than most other cereal crops (it succeeds in Norway at latitude 70° N), and at higher altitudes (it is a staple crop in Tibet). The Coeleste group contains the hull-less barleys. Although lower yielding than the type, these hull-less seeds are much easier to harvest making them a much easier crop to grow on a small scale.

Propagating it: Seed - sow in situ in March or October and only just cover the seed. Make sure the soil surface does not dry out if the weather is dry. Germination takes place within 2 weeks.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Annual

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Exposure to barley flour can cause asthma. Possible trigger for coeliac disease. Possible hypersensitivity to barley .

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Frumentum hordeum, Hordeum sativum, Hordeum nigrum, Hordeum durum, Secale orientale

Barley, Common barley Hordeum vulgare