2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Bergrass (lat. Xerophyllum) - a tall ornamental-leaved plant from the Liliaceae family. Another name for the plant is xerophyllum.
Description
Bergrass is an evergreen rhizome perennial. Numerous bunches of very long (up to eighty centimeters long!), Pointed, rigid, narrow-linear and rough along the edges of the leaves, somewhat reminiscent of the leaves of cereal grasses, depart from the ligneous and rather thick tuberous rhizomes. But the stem leaves of this plant are much shorter.
The height of the flowering stems of bergrass can reach one hundred and eighty centimeters. Each stem invariably ends in rather thick panicles, which collect numerous small flowers of creamy or white shades.
Where grows
The birthplace of bergrass is North America, but now it grows quite well in various parts of the world.
Usage
Bergrass is a plant with a passive form of growth, and, it should be noted, it is very popular in floristry. This extremely flexible floral material does not break at all when bent, and therefore it is ideal for creating all kinds of weaves. And wonderful decorative baskets are woven from it! Bergrass creates surprisingly smooth lines and is a great addition to luxurious interior compositions or spectacular romantic bouquets. And, by the way, bergrass is very stable in the cut - it can stand in this form for more than two weeks! In addition, this plant is ideal for landscaping coastal areas near artificial reservoirs!
Bergrass is also highly valued for its impressive resilience - this plant is able to stay in boxes for a very long time in dry storage, being wrapped in cellophane. As it dries, bergrass gradually becomes much tougher and takes on an incredibly attractive silvery-grayish hue.
Among other things, bergrass is one of those herbs that from time immemorial have shod and clothed people, and also treated them, sheltered them from the weather, warmed and fed them. Its scope has always been surprisingly wide!
Growing and caring
Bergrass will feel best on fertile, loamy or sandy soils. At the same time, these soils should be moderately moist and well-drained, and their reaction, ideally, should be slightly alkaline or neutral. As for the planting sites, this plant grows great in sunny or slightly shaded areas. Bergrass also grows quite well in partial shade.
Watering this handsome man needs moderate - the soil in the intervals between them should have time to dry out. In addition, bergrass tolerates drought very well.
If bergrass grows on fertile soils, there is absolutely no need to give it any additional feeding - the plant will receive all the nutrients it needs from the soil. But if the soil cannot boast of fertility, every spring it will not hurt to introduce organic matter as mulch, as well as pamper a beautiful plant during its active growth with high-quality complex mineral fertilizers.
For the winter, it is recommended to properly cover the plant with dry foliage, straw or spruce branches - in regions characterized by especially harsh winters, this handsome man can sometimes freeze out. However, if in winter the thermometer does not drop below minus twenty degrees, bergrass is quite capable of successfully overwintering without shelter.
Bergrass is propagated either by dividing the rhizomes, or by sowing seeds. By the way, this plant rarely produces self-seeding!