Japanese Stiltgrass Facts
Upper and lower leaf sur faces are slightly pubescent.
Japanese stiltgrass facts. Japanese stiltgrass microstegium vimineum is bright green with a distinctive silvery stripe of reflective hairs along the midrib of each narrow lance shaped blade the leaves are one to three inches long and alternately arranged on a branched stalk resembling a smaller more delicate version of bamboo. Japanese stiltgrass is a delicate sprawling annual grass that grows up to 1 1 m tall. It is a colonial species that spreads during the summer and fall by rooting at stem nodes that touch the ground. I thought it might be a seedling of japanese forest grass hakonechloa macra cultivars.
Individual plants may produce 100 to 1 000 seeds that fall close to the parent plant from both self fertilizing and cross. Infestations can impact the diversity of native species reduce wildlife habitat and disrupt important ecosystem functions. Japanese stiltgrass is an annual weed that hitched a ride to our country one hundred years ago most likely in commercial shipments from china. Biology japanese stiltgrass is a summer annual similar to crabgrass but usually germinates two or more weeks earlier than crabgrass.
A feature that helps. Japanese stiltgrass microstegium vimineum also called nepalese browntop is an aggressive invader of forest lands throughout the eastern united states infestations can impact the diversity of native species reduce wildlife habitat and disrupt important ecosystem functions. The japanese stiltgrass is a type of species with many different interesting facts while i was doing my research i found out that it produces monotypic stands which is a group of one species that crowds out other species. Japanese stiltgrass microstegium vimineum also called nepalese browntop is an aggressive invader of forest lands throughout the eastern united states.
Microstegium vimineum commonly known as japanese stiltgrass packing grass or nepalese browntop is an annual grass that is common in a wide variety of habitats and is well adapted to low light levels. Leaves are pale green alternate lance shaped 2 5 7 6 cm long and asymmetrical with a shiny off center midrib. Stems can root at the nodes. It was popping up in beds that i maintained yet was easy to pull and.
It is highly competitive in the shade and can also invade lightly shaded to full sun areas. Japanese stiltgrass is an annual grass with all plants dying each fall. Despite being non native in the united states it serves as a host plant for some native satyr butterflies such as the carolina satyr hermeuptychia sosybius and the endangered mitchell s. I first noted it a decade ago in my garden.