Herb: Blue Wild Rye


Latin name: Elymus glauca


Synonyms: Leymus secalinus


Family: Gramineae (Grass Family)



Edible parts of Blue Wild Rye:

Seed - cooked. It can be ground into a flour and used to make bread. Very fiddly to use, the seed is small and difficult to extract.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
August

Habitat of the herb:

Moist or dry open thickets and shores.

Other uses of Blue Wild Rye:

The leaves are used for making mats, rope, paper etc. Often planted near the coast to stabilize sand dunes.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow mid spring in situ and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. If the supply of seed is limited, it can also be sown in mid spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in summer Division in spring or summer. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation of Blue Wild Rye:

Moist or dry open thickets and shores.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Elymus glauca:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.