Vetiveria, Vetivergrass
Vetiveria zizanioides

Family: Poaceae or Gramineae

What it is like

NOTE: See Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty for a more recent update of this plant.

Vetiveria zizanioides is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1.6 m (5ft) by 1.6 m (5ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1.6

Where it is found

Open dry places at elevations up to 1000 metres in Nepal.

Tropics.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

The roots are aromatic and are used as a food flavouring. An essential oil obtained from the roots is used as a flavouring in sherbets, syrup sweets, fruit drinks and canned asparagus. It is used in certain canned foods, such as asparagus and peas, to reinforce the natural odour and taste.

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Medicine

Rating: 0

The essential oil obtained from the roots is used medicinally as a carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, refrigerant, stomachic, tonic, antispasmodic and sudorific. A stimulant drink is made from fresh rhizomes. The plants are used as an anthelmintic.

Other

Rating: 0

The aromatic roots are used in pot-pourri and perfumes. The essential oil from the roots is used in perfumery. The plant has deep-rooted and far-ranging roots that make it a valuable plant for controlling soil erosion in cultivated fields. It is often planted along the contour lines for this purpose.

Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.

Pot-pourri: Aromatic plants used to impart a pleasant smell to an area. Can this be grouped with incense or essential oil?

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

How it is grown

This species cannot tolerate hard frosts. In areas that experience much frost, it is better to divide up the plant in the autumn, potting up the divisions and over-wintering them in a greenhouse before planting them back outdoors in late spring. Vetiveria grass is a fast-growing grass that is non-invasive, very deep rooting, insect and vermin proof. It is drought-resistant, and also withstands inundation. It is much planted in the tropics and sub-tropics where its extensive root system makes it valuable for erosion control. Vetiveria zizanioides (syn Chrysopogon zizanioides) is a plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 2,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 35°c, but can tolerate 12 - 45°c. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -15°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 200 - 5,000mm. Prefers a moisture-retentive soil in full sun. Succeeds in a very wide range of soils, tolerating occasional waterlogging once established. Plants are very tolerant of saline soils. Prefers a Ph in the range 4.5 - 8, tolerating 3 - 9.9. A yield of 1 - 5 tonnes of dried roots per hectare can be harvested annually, at an oil content of 0.7 - 2.5%, this produces 40 - 100 kilos of essential oil.

Propagating it: Seed -

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 7-11

Growth:

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

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Chrysopogon zizanioides. Anatherum zizanioides