Yellow Bristle Grass, Yellow foxtail, Cattail grass
Setaria pumila
Family: Poaceae or Gramineae
What it is like
Setaria pumila is a ANNUAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower from August to October, and the seeds ripen from September to October. 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 and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 0.8
Where it is found
Waste ground, cultivated fields and lowland all over Japan.
A cosmopolitan plant.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Seed - cooked. It can be eaten as a sweet or savoury food in all the ways that rice is used, or ground into a powder and made into porridge, cakes, puddings etc. The seed contains about 11.5% protein, 6% fat, 40.7% carbohydrate, 8.2% fat. A dust from the fungal infection of plants is eaten.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 0
How it is grown
Succeeds in any well-drained soil in full sun.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination is usually quick and good. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on fast. Plant them out in late spring, after the last expected frosts. Whilst this is fine for small quantities, it would be an extremely labour intensive method if larger amounts were to be grown. The seed can be sown in situ in the middle of spring though it is then later in coming into flower and may not ripen its seed in a cool summer.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist