Molineria capitulata or palm grass

[happypalms]

An excellent understory plant the molineria tough easy to grow palm look a like goes well in any garden setting it just needs the odd trim to keep it in line without getting out of control and taking over easily controlled an easy one to propagate and grow with a very nice yellow flower that is seldom seen usually hidden in the mulch layer 

[Merlyn]

Any tips on how to control this plant?  I have some in a pot that I placed on a big patio stone.  I hoped the stone would be good enough to keep it from escaping the pot, but it's gotten out and sprouted several new plants up to 6 feet away.  Can you just hack off the growth spots you don't want?  Or will it resprout at that spot from the underground rhizome like a Heliconia or running bamboo?

[happypalms]

  On 11/6/2023 at 4:30 PM, Merlyn said:

Any tips on how to control this plant?  I have some in a pot that I placed on a big patio stone.  I hoped the stone would be good enough to keep it from escaping the pot, but it's gotten out and sprouted several new plants up to 6 feet away.  Can you just hack off the growth spots you don't want?  Or will it resprout at that spot from the underground rhizome like a Heliconia or running bamboo?

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To control it I just pull or dig the offending rhizome out there shallow rooted in my sandy soil or just simply cut the exposed plant suckers off in a container but yes you need to keep an eye on this plant for control measures 

  On 11/6/2023 at 4:30 PM, Merlyn said:

Any tips on how to control this plant?  I have some in a pot that I placed on a big patio stone.  I hoped the stone would be good enough to keep it from escaping the pot, but it's gotten out and sprouted several new plants up to 6 feet away.  Can you just hack off the growth spots you don't want?  Or will it resprout at that spot from the underground rhizome like a Heliconia or running bamboo?

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[tropicbreeze]

One sure fire way to get rid of Palm Grass is to introduce some Wallabies (Notamacropus agilis). I put in several of these plants but when they grew up the Wallabies found them and totally destroyed them. They dug down into the soil as well and ate the rhizomes and roots. Left nothing of the plants. Now I've only got two small plants behind heavy protection.

 

[Merlyn]

@tropicbreeze I think that introducing Wallabies here to control palm grass might be frowned upon by the federal authorities. 

[JohnAndSancho]

How do they handle freezes? With them being rhizome based do they recover when it warms up again?

[happypalms]

  On 11/7/2023 at 5:35 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

How do they handle freezes? With them being rhizome based do they recover when it warms up again?

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Good question I have seen them in some cold towns that get pretty cold could be worth a try 

[happypalms]

  On 11/6/2023 at 10:09 PM, tropicbreeze said:

One sure fire way to get rid of Palm Grass is to introduce some Wallabies (Notamacropus agilis). I put in several of these plants but when they grew up the Wallabies found them and totally destroyed them. They dug down into the soil as well and ate the rhizomes and roots. Left nothing of the plants. Now I've only got two small plants behind heavy protection.

 

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Many a garden destroyed by wallabies and pretty well much anything that you try and grow in bush is fair game as animal food in Australia bush turkeys  dug up all my Lilly’s and bulbs 

[Keys6505]

  On 11/7/2023 at 5:35 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

How do they handle freezes? With them being rhizome based do they recover when it warms up again?

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Mine have recovered from winter lows of 15 and 17 degrees in subsequent winters.   Takes them a little while to look like anything again, but still kickin.

[tropicbreeze]

There is another similar but unrelated plant also called Palm Grass, which is actually a grass, Setaria palmifolia. It apparently grows better in colder climates so should better withstand cold than Molineria capitulata. It gets mentioned often on gardening sites. Being similar with the same common name they get mixed up.

 

[happypalms]

  On 11/8/2023 at 5:45 AM, tropicbreeze said:

There is another similar but unrelated plant also called Palm Grass, which is actually a grass, Setaria palmifolia. It apparently grows better in colder climates so should better withstand cold than Molineria capitulata. It gets mentioned often on gardening sites. Being similar with the same common name they get mixed up.

 

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I also have a purple molineria the undersides are purple with a silver tinge in the green top part not exactly my favourite plant but makes a great grouncover 

[Keys6505]

  On 11/8/2023 at 9:54 AM, happypalms said:

I also have a purple molineria the undersides are purple with a silver tinge in the green top part not exactly my favourite plant but makes a great grouncover 

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Would you mind adding a pic?  

[Merlyn]

  On 11/8/2023 at 3:15 AM, Keys6505 said:

Mine have recovered from winter lows of 15 and 17 degrees in subsequent winters.   Takes them a little while to look like anything again, but still kickin.

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That's great info!  Do you know what temperature they start burning, and what temp they burn to the ground?  I routinely see 2 nights a year of 27-30F with frost, but so far only once hit 24.4F with frost.  It would be great if these stayed evergreen on a "normal" winter.

[happypalms]

  On 11/8/2023 at 1:10 PM, Merlyn said:

That's great info!  Do you know what temperature they start burning, and what temp they burn to the ground?  I routinely see 2 nights a year of 27-30F with frost, but so far only once hit 24.4F with frost.  It would be great if these stayed evergreen on a "normal" winter.

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Not sure when they start to burn just give them a go and cut them back in spring a bit like canna lilies and bulbs 

[Keys6505]

  On 11/8/2023 at 1:10 PM, Merlyn said:

That's great info!  Do you know what temperature they start burning, and what temp they burn to the ground?  I routinely see 2 nights a year of 27-30F with frost, but so far only once hit 24.4F with frost.  It would be great if these stayed evergreen on a "normal" winter.

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I can't say for sure what temp, but I flipped a wheelbarrow over one of my clumps during Palmageddon and that clump didn't even totally defoliate at 15 degrees.  I'll pay more attention this winter, but I don't think you'll have an issue with them getting ugly at your temps.   They do like moisture though.  The ones I have in the drier part of my bed are just meh compared to the ones that get regular irrigation.

[Calosphace]

We have something that looks like this at work also called Palm grass. At least one has inflorescence like a grass that are held above the foliage. I think the other might be this plant as it has slightly broader leaves that dont seem to be as irritating. Both were undamaged as far as I could tell by past winter where ultimate low was 24. They are under native oak canopy which affords some protection, basically complete shade.

Edited November 12, 2023 by Calosphace

[happypalms]

  On 11/12/2023 at 11:12 PM, Calosphace said:

We have something that looks like this at work also called Palm grass. At least one has inflorescence like a grass that are held above the foliage. I think the other might be this plant as it has slightly broader leaves that dont seem to be as irritating. Both were undamaged as far as I could tell by past winter where ultimate low was 24. They are under native oak canopy which affords some protection, basically complete shade.

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They are pretty tough they do take the cold down to -2  degrees Celsius and a beautiful flower planted on mass 

[Merlyn]

  On 11/8/2023 at 5:45 AM, tropicbreeze said:

There is another similar but unrelated plant also called Palm Grass, which is actually a grass, Setaria palmifolia. It apparently grows better in colder climates so should better withstand cold than Molineria capitulata. It gets mentioned often on gardening sites. Being similar with the same common name they get mixed up.

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Do you know anything about the invasiveness of Setaria Palmifolia?  I read that it self-seeds, so it could be a real nightmare if it starts spreading.  But some plants won't spread outside of the area where they are regularly irrigated, so that might not be a big deal.  I'm considering letting my Molineria loose in a front yard area where I currently have a bunch of boring non-variegated spider plants.  But I could also try the Setaria in a couple of spots if it's unlikely to become the weed-that-ate-my-yard.

[happypalms]

  On 11/13/2023 at 3:14 PM, Merlyn said:

Do you know anything about the invasiveness of Setaria Palmifolia?  I read that it self-seeds, so it could be a real nightmare if it starts spreading.  But some plants won't spread outside of the area where they are regularly irrigated, so that might not be a big deal.  I'm considering letting my Molineria loose in a front yard area where I currently have a bunch of boring non-variegated spider plants.  But I could also try the Setaria in a couple of spots if it's unlikely to become the weed-that-ate-my-yard.

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Hi Merlyn not sure about the setaria but my molinera I just let it go for a while now i control it quite easily mostly just pulling it out by hand it is in a spot that I can let it go in only because I have room to do so it’s shallow rooted so easily dug out with a pick hoe or shovel 

[tropicbreeze]

  On 11/13/2023 at 3:14 PM, Merlyn said:

Do you know anything about the invasiveness of Setaria Palmifolia?  I read that it self-seeds, so it could be a real nightmare if it starts spreading.  But some plants won't spread outside of the area where they are regularly irrigated, so that might not be a big deal.  I'm considering letting my Molineria loose in a front yard area where I currently have a bunch of boring non-variegated spider plants.  But I could also try the Setaria in a couple of spots if it's unlikely to become the weed-that-ate-my-yard.

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We don't have it here but on the east coast they do. Check this site out, it'll probably turn you off trying Setaria palmifolia

https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/PalmGrass

[happypalms]

  On 11/13/2023 at 10:29 PM, tropicbreeze said:

We don't have it here but on the east coast they do. Check this site out, it'll probably turn you off trying Setaria palmifolia

https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/PalmGrass

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Iam familiar with that itchy smelling weed I looked up your link and strangely enough straight to the DPI website for weeds what a coincidence the scourge of a weed it is 

[Merlyn]

@tropicbreeze yeah I think that's enough for me to cross that off my list!   

[happypalms]

  On 11/16/2023 at 12:06 AM, Merlyn said:

@tropicbreeze yeah I think that's enough for me to cross that off my list!   

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Cross it off the list it was never on my list to start with 🤣