Poa – Meadow Grass – Spear Grass

Poa – Meadow Grass – Spear Grass –
There are about 500 mainly perennial grasses (some are annuals and a few being weeds) in this genus. They occur in cool temperate regions in a wide range of habitats, from seashores to alpine zones. They include a number of important fodder, tough lawn, and pasture grasses. Of variable habit, they are grown for their narrowly linear, flat to folded leaves which are often thickened and jointed at the bases and usually bright green or blue green, and for their open or compact, summer flowering panicles. Most grown species (most notably P. pratensis, Kentucky Bluegrass) are grown as turf grasses or for agricultural purposes. P. alpina var. vivipara is grown as a curiosity, either in a rock garden or at the front of a border. P. chaixii and other ornamental species are suitable for a border, and for naturalizing in woodland and other shady situations.
Grow in moderately fertile, medium to light, well drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Remove flowering stems to prevent self seeding, cut back dead foliage in early spring.

P. chaixii – This densely tufted perennial from Europe, Southwestern Asia and North America grows 3′ feet tall and half as wide. It produces flat or folded, unusually broad, linear, glossy, bright green leaves, to18″ long and ½” wide, each abruptly contracted at the tip to form a hood. In late spring and early summer it bears open, slightly nodding, straight branched, ovate to ovate-oblong, pale green, often purple-tinted flowering panicles, to 10″ long, on strong, erect stems held well above the foliage.
Zones 4-8