Sweet Grass, Weeping alkaligrass, Hauptian alkaligrass
Puccinellia distans

Family: Poaceae or Gramineae

What it is like

Puccinellia distans is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is in flower from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

Salt marshes, muddy estuaries and occasionally on sandy ground inland.

Europe, including Britain, to Siberia.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Seed - cooked. No more information is given, but the seed can probably be used as pinole, or can be ground into a powder and used as a thickener in soups or with cereal flours when making bread, cakes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

We have no information for this species, but judging by its native habitats it should be amenable to a range of conditions from sandy well-drained to quite muddy, as long as it is in a reasonably sunny position.

Propagating it: Seed - surface sow in pots in the spring and do not allow to dry out. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in the spring.

Best place to grow: Bog Garden; Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 0-0

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Glyceria distans. (Jacq.)Wahlenb.