Thinopyrum elongatum aka Tall Wheatgrass

Thinopyrum elongatum is also known as tall wheatgrass. It belongs to Poaceae, the grass family. This perennial comes from temperate parts of the world. Its native range spans the Mediterranean to Central Asia. It includes parts of southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Sources also use the name Agropyron elongatum for this grass. In the wild, it grows in salt-rich meadows and beside the sea. Salt water may flood these sites from time to time.

This grass reaches about 6 feet [1.8 metres] in height. PFAF calls it evergreen, meaning it keeps leaves all year. Most growth takes place during the cooler part of the year. Its main growth season runs from autumn through spring. This fits its roots in a region with dry summers. Each flower has both male and female organs. Wind carries its pollen. The supplied sources give no flowering dates for this species. They give no details of its fruit either.

Full sun gives the best growth. PFAF says it can also cope with some shade. It accepts sandy soil, loam, and heavy clay. It can grow in dry or moist ground. Its reported soil pH range is 5.3 to 9.0. This spans acid soil through soil that is strongly alkaline. It copes with salt in the soil and saltwater floods at times. PFAF lists USDA hardiness zones 5–9. Forms differ in how much cold they can bear. Treat that zone range with some care for this reason. Some forms can grow as far north as northern Canada.

Its main recorded uses help restore land rather than provide food. It takes hold on wet, alkaline ground and helps reclaim salty soils. Trials have explored its use on waste from bauxite processing. Reports show promise in dry parts of South Australia. Those sites get only about 5–8 inches of rain yearly. This suggests value where salt and low rainfall limit plant choices. Its harvested plant mass can supply material to make alcohol or methane.

PFAF lists no known food uses or medicinal uses. It reports no known hazards, but this does not prove safety. The supplied evidence names no specific pests or diseases. It does not flag this grass as weedy either. You can grow new plants from seed. Sow seeds on the surface or under a thin soil cover. PFAF advises sowing in autumn. Where winters bring heavy frost, it advises sowing in spring.