Lygeum spartum aka Albardine

Lygeum spartum is a perennial grass in the Poaceae family. Common names include albardine, esparto, cord grass and hooded matweed. It comes from the Mediterranean region, including southern Europe and North Africa. Its range includes Spain, Italy, Crete, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It also grows in Libya and Egypt, including Sinai. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Kew places it in the subtropical climate zone.

This grass reaches about 1.6 feet (0.5 metres) in height. Its spread is about 1 foot (0.3 metres). It lives for more than one year and can form rhizomes. These are stems that grow beneath the soil. Its leaves provide fibre for several traditional uses. Flowers appear in May, and seeds ripen from June to July. Each flower has both male and female organs. Wind carries the pollen between flowers.

In the wild, it grows on rocky shores. It also occupies dry ground with sand or clay. The soil in its habitat often contains gypsum. For garden use, choose an open site without shade. Plants For A Future suggests a sunny position. It favours light loam but accepts sand and clay too. Good drainage matters across these soil types. It can grow in mildly acid, neutral or mildly alkaline soil. The roots tolerate either dry or moist ground. The plant also withstands exposure to sea winds.

It can grow in cultivated beds, with leaves useful beyond the garden. People use the leaf fibre to make paper. Other uses include mats, sails and rope. Plants For A Future records no known edible uses. It also lists no known medicinal uses or hazards. That lack of reported hazards does not establish food safety. The same source does not flag it as a weed.

Grow new plants from seed or divide established clumps. Sow seed on the surface in a greenhouse in spring. Move seedlings into separate pots once large enough to handle. Keep them in the greenhouse through their first winter. Plant them outside the next spring. Spring is also the time to divide clumps. Large divisions can go straight into their final sites. Pot up small divisions and keep them in a cold frame. Let them root well before planting them out in spring.