Hopia obtusa aka Vine Mesquite

Hopia obtusa, or vine mesquite, is in the grass family, Poaceae. The garden records use the name Panicum obtusum. This grass lives for more than one year. It comes from the central and southern United States and Mexico. Records place it in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Texas, and Arizona. In Mexico, it grows from the north south to Chiapas. Its range lies in regions with a temperate climate.

The plant grows about 2.6 feet [0.8 metres] tall. It forms stolons, which are stems that spread along the ground. These grow over 6.6 feet [2 metres] long. They let the plant spread well past its upright growth. Their length does not show how wide a full-grown plant gets. Keep this spread in mind when choosing space in beds. People have also planted it to hold soil against erosion.

It blooms from August to September. Each flower has both male and female organs. Wind carries the pollen. You can eat the seeds once cooked. Use them as whole grain or flour mixed with cornmeal. The small seeds are hard to gather and prepare. Reports say they have a mild, pleasant taste. The source gives the plant a modest rating for food use. It lists no known hazards. But it gives no specific view on safety for pets.

In gardens, give it full sun and soil that drains well. It does not suit shade. It prefers moist ground with a fair level of nutrients. It can grow in sand, loam, or clay. Soil may be slightly acid, neutral, or slightly alkaline. In the wild, it grows on damp flats and shores. It also grows on riverbanks and in ditches used for irrigation. Some reports place it on dry ground instead. Records also list sites with sand or gravel. These reports show that it grows in a range of sites. They do not give a measured limit for drought.

Grow new plants from seed or split plants in spring. Sow seed under glass in spring, with a thin cover. Seeds may sprout in about a week. Move young plants outside after the last expected frost. Plant large clumps split in spring straight into their final spots. Let smaller pieces grow more before you plant them out. Reports of past use include washes made from leaves. They also list hair products made from stolons. These reports do not prove that such treatments work. The supplied account lists no uses as medicine.