Saccharum ravennae Seeds | Ravenna Grass
LATIN NAME: Saccharum ravennae
COMMON NAME: Ravenna Grass
Plant Profile
Saccharum ravennae, better known as Ravenna Grass, is a grass in the grass family. The Ravenna grass is tall, silver plume of dry verge, and fine, silvery panicles rise high above arching leaves. Plant is a fine, generous presence of late-season garden, and it is a plant of open, sunny, deep, well-drained ground. The flowers pull in pollinating insects, which quietly widens its usefulness in the garden. These traits together are what have kept the plant in gardens for so long.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the grass family, Saccharum ravennae contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. It is the kind of species that plant scientists reach for when they need reliable material for propagation and selection studies.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Ravenna Grass for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. The Ravenna grass is a fine, bold plant of dry verge and late-season garden. It has been written up in horticultural papers for silver plumes and tall, bold ways, and it is a fine, bold plant of open, sunny, deep, well-drained garden. Give young plants open, sunny spot, and plumes will rise in second season. It establishes readily and then requires nothing out of the ordinary.
Sugarcane sweetened the world, and its juice is a traditional cooling drink; the rarer chew is the freshly pressed cane juice of Asian street markets, mineral-rich and grass-green.
Growing from Seed
Ravenna Grass grows readily from seed. Sow on the surface of a gritty, well-drained mix, cover lightly with fine compost, and maintain gentle, even moisture in a sunny position. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.
Our Take
Its long record of traditional use, described above, gives the plant a story beyond ornament. The medicinal tradition behind this species, outlined above, is a large part of its interest. Start with fresh seed, keep it evenly moist, and the plant does the rest itself.
Related Reading
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