Glyceria septentrionalis aka Northern Glyceria

Glyceria septentrionalis is a grass that lives for many years. It belongs to the Poaceae family. People call it eastern manna grass and floating mannagrass. Kew gives its native range as southeastern Canada to central Mexico. Plants For A Future lists many eastern and central American states. In Canada, it grows in southern Quebec and southeastern Ontario. It grows in regions with a temperate climate. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This grass grows to about 5 feet [1.5 metres] tall. The sources give no width or leaf details for this species. In the wild, it grows in swamps, wet woods, and ditches. These sites show its need for wet ground. Plants For A Future lists ponds and bog gardens as garden sites. Its known garden role is for these wet places. The sources do not describe this species' value for looks.

Grow it in wet soil or shallow water. It accepts sand, loam, and clay soils. Soil can range from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. It grows in full sun or part shade. Records also place it in wet woods in the wild. Plants For A Future gives no firm British hardiness rating. It says the native range may show it could grow there. This is a guess, not proof of how much cold it withstands. The sources give no exact hardiness zone.

The flowers have both male and female organs. Wind moves the pollen. The sources do not say which months it blooms. Plants For A Future lists the seeds as fit to eat. It rates their food use at just one out of five. The seeds are very small and thus hard to gather. The source lists no known hazards or uses as medicine. This does not prove safety for people or pets. It lists no other uses and flags no risk as a weed.

Grow new plants from seed or split clumps in spring. Sow seed in spring in a greenhouse. Stand the pot in 0.1–0.16 feet [0.03–0.05 metres] of water. Leave seeds on top or add a light cover. Seeds should sprout within about three weeks. Move young plants to their own pots when large enough to handle. Plant them outdoors in early summer. Large clumps split in spring can go straight to their final sites. Keep smaller split clumps in pots under cold-frame cover. Leave them there until they have strong roots.