Purple Napier Grass (Elephant Grass)
Napier grass is a powerhouse of a plant that produces a HUGE amount of biomass in a short amount of time! It prefers full sun and tolerates poor, dry soils but also fairs well in soggy conditions, making it a perfect support species for the very beginning stages of a food forest. It’s one of the most popular crops grown throughout the tropics because of it’s wide variety of uses; it’s primarily grown to feed cattle and livestock but also used for windbreaks, living fences, privacy hedges, cover crops, chop & drop, and to help prevent soil erosion. An extremely useful plant that provides many benefits to a food forest/agroforesty system.
Caution: While it’s rapid growth rate and resilience is impressive, there are a few drawbacks that must be considered before planting. It absolutely requires regular maintenance and cutting to keep it from smothering other plants and impeding their growth. Napier grass is also known as “Elephant Grass” for a reason; it evolved with the constant feeding and trampling of huge herds of elephants in Africa. Without constant management and resetting, this amazing plant can quickly become a headache for growers. It’s also equipped with small prickly hairs that irritate the skin, so long sleeves and gloves are recommended when working with this plant. With great power comes great responsibility, so it’s a good idea to start small and slowly expand with this powerful plant.
Propagation: Napier grass propagates easily through cuttings, just stick the cuttings in the ground (or pots) and keep moist for a few days, they will begin sprouting in a few days. It can also be propagated with root clumps (an effective strategy in extremely dry conditions).
All cuttings are 6-9 inches in length.
Pennisetum purpureum or Cenchrus purpureus
Napier grass is a powerhouse of a plant that produces a HUGE amount of biomass in a short amount of time! It prefers full sun and tolerates poor, dry soils but also fairs well in soggy conditions, making it a perfect support species for the very beginning stages of a food forest. It’s one of the most popular crops grown throughout the tropics because of it’s wide variety of uses; it’s primarily grown to feed cattle and livestock but also used for windbreaks, living fences, privacy hedges, cover crops, chop & drop, and to help prevent soil erosion. An extremely useful plant that provides many benefits to a food forest/agroforesty system.
Caution: While it’s rapid growth rate and resilience is impressive, there are a few drawbacks that must be considered before planting. It absolutely requires regular maintenance and cutting to keep it from smothering other plants and impeding their growth. Napier grass is also known as “Elephant Grass” for a reason; it evolved with the constant feeding and trampling of huge herds of elephants in Africa. Without constant management and resetting, this amazing plant can quickly become a headache for growers. It’s also equipped with small prickly hairs that irritate the skin, so long sleeves and gloves are recommended when working with this plant. With great power comes great responsibility, so it’s a good idea to start small and slowly expand with this powerful plant.
Propagation: Napier grass propagates easily through cuttings, just stick the cuttings in the ground (or pots) and keep moist for a few days, they will begin sprouting in a few days. It can also be propagated with root clumps (an effective strategy in extremely dry conditions).
All cuttings are 6-9 inches in length.
Pennisetum purpureum or Cenchrus purpureus
Napier grass is a powerhouse of a plant that produces a HUGE amount of biomass in a short amount of time! It prefers full sun and tolerates poor, dry soils but also fairs well in soggy conditions, making it a perfect support species for the very beginning stages of a food forest. It’s one of the most popular crops grown throughout the tropics because of it’s wide variety of uses; it’s primarily grown to feed cattle and livestock but also used for windbreaks, living fences, privacy hedges, cover crops, chop & drop, and to help prevent soil erosion. An extremely useful plant that provides many benefits to a food forest/agroforesty system.
Caution: While it’s rapid growth rate and resilience is impressive, there are a few drawbacks that must be considered before planting. It absolutely requires regular maintenance and cutting to keep it from smothering other plants and impeding their growth. Napier grass is also known as “Elephant Grass” for a reason; it evolved with the constant feeding and trampling of huge herds of elephants in Africa. Without constant management and resetting, this amazing plant can quickly become a headache for growers. It’s also equipped with small prickly hairs that irritate the skin, so long sleeves and gloves are recommended when working with this plant. With great power comes great responsibility, so it’s a good idea to start small and slowly expand with this powerful plant.
Propagation: Napier grass propagates easily through cuttings, just stick the cuttings in the ground (or pots) and keep moist for a few days, they will begin sprouting in a few days. It can also be propagated with root clumps (an effective strategy in extremely dry conditions).
All cuttings are 6-9 inches in length.
Pennisetum purpureum or Cenchrus purpureus