Agropyron repens Couch grass (Gramineae)

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Agropyron repens
Couch grass
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The Agropyron repens plant species is found in Britain. It is a member of the Gramineae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Couch grass. Some home gardeners know the variety as Elymus repens.(L.)Gould.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Agropyron repens
Common Name:  Couch grass
Family:  Gramineae
Author:  (L.)Beauv.

Known Hazards:  None known

Mature Height:  0.6   Mature Width:  1

Habitat:  A common weed of gardens, fields, hedgerows and meadows[17].

Cultivation Notes: Couch grass can succeed in any soil, though it grows best in light sandy soils[238]. It is a rapidly spreading, persistent and pernicious weed that should only be introduced with great caution. It tolerates a pH in the range 4.2 to 8.3. A food plant for the caterpillars of many butterfly and moth species. This species can become a pernicious weed, spreading rapidly by underground rhizomes[4] and quickly forming a dense mat of roots in the soil that strangles other plant growth[K]. Even the smallest fragment of root is capable of regenerating into a new plant, thus making it exceedingly difficult to get rid of. A good thick mulch through which nothing can grow, can be applied to the area, though it will need to be left in place for at least two growing seasons to be fully effective[K]. Despite its antisocial tendency in the garden, couch is a very useful herbal medicine and Culpepper is said to have stated that half an acre of couch was worth five acres of carrots twice over[4].

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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