Elytrigia intermedia, commonly known as intermediate wheatgrass, is a perennial grass species in the Poaceae family. Native to Europe and Asia, it has also been introduced and naturalized in North America. This plant is known for its robust root system, which can extend up to 2 meters deep, making it an excellent choice for soil stabilization and erosion control.
Intermediate wheatgrass can grow up to 1.5 meters tall and features long, flat, and narrow green leaves. Its inflorescence is a spike-like structure, adorned with numerous small flowers arranged in pairs along the stem.
This highly adaptable grass species can thrive in a variety of soil types, including sandy, loamy, and clay soils, as well as saline or alkaline conditions. It tolerates drought well but prefers moist soil for optimal growth.
Intermediate wheatgrass serves multiple purposes. It is valuable for forage production and hay due to its high nutritional content for livestock. Additionally, it acts as an excellent cover crop, thanks to its deep root system, which helps prevent soil erosion and improves soil health by adding organic matter.
Overall, Elytrigia intermedia is an important plant species with numerous ecological benefits, making it highly valued by both farmers and conservationists.
Intermediate wheatgrass has strong disease resistance and is generally not liable to disease. In terms of care, this plant is fairly low-maintenance. When grown outdoors it needs minimal watering, and larger plants typically do not require pruning. Smaller plants, however, should be pruned after they have flowered. Intermediate wheatgrass is suitable for anyone with an outdoor area, such as a garden or a deck, and does not demand much gardening experience.
How to keep Elytrigia Intermedia.
Light
Intermediate wheatgrass performs best with full daylight but can tolerate reduced light for parts of the day. When grown outdoors, it may need shade at certain times of the year. Too little light can limit its growth and lower its vigor.
Temperature
Intermediate wheatgrass can withstand a wide range of temperatures, but its distribution may still be restricted by different combinations of water and heat. It grows best in warm summer climates with sufficient rainfall or irrigation. Extended periods of cloudy, rainy weather, as well as prolonged high temperatures, can increase the chance of Intermediate wheatgrass dying. In winter, adequate protection from cold can enhance the plant's survival.
Fertilizer
To achieve optimal growth, Intermediate wheatgrass needs three fertilizer applications: one before planting, a second about one month after seedlings emerge, and a final one 1 to 1.5 months after the second. Some varieties of Intermediate wheatgrass also benefit from extra fertilizer applied at planting to promote rapid growth.
Botanical profile.
- Plant Type
- Grass
- Life Cycle
- Perennial
- Genus
- Elytrigia
- Family
- Poaceae
- Hardiness Zone
- 4-9
- Mature Height
- 0.91 m to 1.52 m
- Mature Spread
- 30 cm to 61 cm
- Leaf Color
- Green, Dark Green
- Leaf Type
- Deciduous
- Flower Size
- 1.02 cm to 2.03 cm
- Bloom Time
- Early summer, Mid summer
- Planting Time
- Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Harvest Time
- Late summer, Early fall
- Native Area
- Turkey, Austria, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Poland, Greece, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Russia, Afghanistan, Hungary, Iraq, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Spain, Switzerland, Iran, Albania, Romania, Turkmenistan, France
Other names.
