Imperata cylindrica Seeds | Rhizome of Wooly Grass Bai Mao Gen
LATIN NAME: Imperata cylindrica
COMMON NAME: Bai Mao Gen, Cogon Grass Rhizome, White Grass Root
Plant Profile
Bai Mao Gen (Imperata cylindrica) is a rhizomatous perennial grass of the family Poaceae, native to the warm regions of the Old World and one of the most persistent weeds of tropical agriculture. It forms dense stands 30-120 cm tall, with sharp-tipped blades and silky white flower spikes, spreading by deep, scaly rhizomes. Those same rhizomes are a traditional cooling herb of Chinese medicine, and the plant also serves for thatch and erosion control.
Science & Biotechnology
Cogongrass is simultaneously one of the world’s worst invasive weeds and a gentle traditional drug: the rhizome (bai mao gen) is listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as a cooling, blood-staunching diuretic, with flavonoids and triterpenes documented in laboratory studies. The same rhizomes that herbalists value are what make the plant nearly impossible to eradicate from warm-country fields. Gardeners outside its native range should admire this one in a pot, with care — its silver plumes are beautiful, and its underground empire is infamous.
Like other members of the grass family, Imperata cylindrica draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. Bai mao gen has a real and distinguished place in research. It is the kind of species that plant scientists reach for when they need reliable material for propagation and selection studies.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Bai Mao Gen has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Bai mao gen comes from a vigorous, creeping perennial grass of fields and roadsides, where its long, white, sweet-tasting rhizomes spread beneath the ground. Its seed heads provide a food for birds and small animals, and its dense growth gives a fine cover on disturbed ground, while its vigorous spread can make it a serious weed in crops and the plantations. To raise imperata, sow seeds on surface of pots of moist, open soil in a sunny, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow little grasses on in the sun. Thereafter it wants only the ordinary attentions any garden plant receives.
Cogongrass rhizome, Bai Mao Gen, is a classical Chinese cooling herb for thirst and mild bleeding, a sweet, gentle grass-root tea; the blade makes useful thatch and emergency forage.
Growing from Seed
Bai Mao Gen grows readily from seed. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. A cool, moist period before sowing helps the seeds wake evenly — a few weeks in damp medium in the refrigerator is the usual approach. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
Being a vigorous, creeping, perennial, it asks for a permanent spot and repays it yearly. The medicinal tradition behind this species, outlined above, is a large part of its interest. A cool, moist period before sowing prepares the seed well; care after that is routine.
Related Reading
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