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Grass Like

Brachypodium sylvaticum

false brome

A perennial, semi-evergreen grass that forms loose, tufted clumps up to 1m in height with a spread to 50cm. It has an arching habit with softly drooping stems and a soft, informal appearance. The leaves are long, slender, and bright green, measuring up to 30cm long and up to 1cm wide. They have a soft, hairy texture, and remain green for much of the year, though they may turn yellowish in autumn and colder months. It produces delicate, nodding flower spikes from June to September. The spikelets are pale green to light brown, around 5–10cm long, and held on wiry stems, giving a feathery texture

Other common names

slender false brome
wood false brome
see morebreichwellt y coed

Synonyms

Festuca sylvatica Huds.

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Plant nurseries
3 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Poaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Semi evergreen
Habit: Tufted
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Eur., N Afr., Asia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in hummus-rich soil in light dappled shade

Propagation

Propagate by seed in containers using a cold frame in spring. Divide in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

For more information see our page on how to cut back deciduous grasses

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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