Cold weather condition has finally hit my garden , but I still bring off to get one more set of seeds in the ground just the other mean solar day . River oats orChasmanthium latifoliumis an ornamental grass aboriginal to much of the U.S. and part of Mexico . And , for germinate in spring , river oat seeds require a period of insensate stratification .
brave out the cold to found them in late fall is one of the wide-eyed and most reliable way to weaken this versatile industrial plant ’s dormancy .
You may know “ river oats ” by another name . Some hoi polloi callChasmanthium latifolium“sea oat , ” “ inland sea oat , ” “ northerly ocean oat , ” “ crazy oats ” or “ wood oats . ”
I ’ve also witness river oats referred to as “ spangle sess ” or “ spike grass . ”
Plant Spotlight
I hold myChasmanthium latifoliumseedfrom a Missouri - establish man via the Seed Savers Exchange ( SSE ) connection . Interestingly , regarding his river oat source origin , the SSE member noted , “ [ This is a ] different subspecies than ocean oats , but [ it ] can scotch with them . ”
A clopping , ornamental grass , Chasmanthium latifoliumgrows apace during the spring . River oat ’ distinctive ejaculate heads come up on in lovely shades of honey oil over the summer . And , by recent summertime to former free fall , they deform a golden brown .
( The last time I grew river oats , some of their seed point even took on a shining ruby hue . Still , such showy color is n’t needs a given . )
In part , what you may carry depends on your available grow conditions . Chasmanthium latifoliumcan reach up to 5 base marvelous . Although the grass has a mostly vertical habit , it tends to flex under the exercising weight of its showy source heads ( Incidentally , when thoroughly dried , these seed - bearing fore add visual sake to wreaths and efflorescence arrangement . )
Read more : Seed Savers are lead the seed saving drive .
Rain Gardens
River oat plant can stick out full sunshine to fond subtlety as well as a variety of ground types . However , moist , well - draining growing condition are ideal .
In fact , these plant life are especially well - suit for inclusion in rain gardens . you could mixChasmanthium latifoliumwith various sedge , swampland milkweed , queen of the prairie and other wet - loving plants . These all work together to slow and filtrate stormwater overflow .
Erosion Control & Planting
If you have eroding - prone expanse , you could plant groupings of river oats to assist cast anchor the filth , too . Each case-by-case plant can span about 2 feet across . That have in mind , for thick bottom of river oat , you should space plants just 1 to 2 metrical foot aside .
desire a lilliputian more breathing way in your landscape ? If so , put 3 to 4 foot between each plant life instead . And keep in thinker thatChasmanthium latifoliumspreads via rhizome as well as by germ . So , under the correct circumstances , it can run murderously . luckily , it ’s pretty light to keep in check — just expend a acute shovelful to veer back rhizomes as needed .
latterly , I spread out river oat come in a few low - consist , miry spots on my own property . To protrude , I turned over the soil , remove patch of grass and weeds as I went along . Next , I better the orbit with some finished compost . Then I broke the seed head apart into individual seeds and equally spread them across the planting bed .
Finally , I topped with a unaccented covering of dirt , water well , and land up with a few inches of dried pine needles . ( Using light , dry straw to keep the seeds and soil in place is my usual go - to . It just happens that I had a superfluity of pine needle and had go out of wheat . )
translate more : The primary challenge of living on a hill ? corrosion .
Supporting Butterflies, Birds & More
River oats add note value to the landscape painting in a few other way . During the warm months , river oat can stand of import pollinator .
For instance , you could intersperse this ornamental grass alongside nectar - carry plants in the butterfly garden to feed many larval - stageskippers . ( In special , you may noticeBell ’s roadside captain ( Amblyscirtes belli)andpepper and salt skipper ( Amblyscirtes hegon ) , among others . ) They may be smaller and less showy than charismatic metal money like sovereign and swallow-tailed coat , but skippers are no less important .
You might also spot some larval - microscope stage vulgar wood nymph ( Cercyonis pegala ) and northerly pearly - eye ( Enodia anthedon ) butterflies as well .
And during the colder month ? Leave your river oat cum heads abide and they ’ll provide much - necessitate food and cover for birds and other critter .
