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Melampyrum pratense

Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Marinellia vulgaris
Phonetic Spelling
mel-am-PY-rum pray-TEN-see
Description

Cow Wheat is an annual, herbaceous, flowering, wildflower. It is a hemi-parasite, gathering nutrients from other plants. It is in the broom/rape family and native to the woods, scrub, heaths and upland moors of northern Europe and central Siberia and can also be found, though rarely, in hedgerows and deciduous woodland on chalk and limestone. The plant has yellow flowers in pairs, both facing the same way, making this plant unmistakable when in bloom during the summer. The genus name comes from the Greek words for black and wheat, referring to the fact that if seeds of the plant are included with wheat for grinding, the resulting flour is blackened. The species name means 'of meadows', the typical site for the plant.

Cow Wheat grows best in well-drained, nutrient-poor acidic soils in full sun or partial shade. It is less common in alkaline soils, but it can tolerate lime and is sometimes found on chalk and in soil containing limestone.

The large seeds contain a fleshy structure that is consumed by wood ants, who disperse the seeds as they bring them back to their nest. Because the ants do not travel more than a few yards, the presence of these plants indicate that the woodland is well established.

The plant is relatively short and can be grown in a container or as a mass-planting producing a flowering ground cover. It is an annual, but the seeds can spread for next year's crop.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

No known diseases or insect pests.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#yellow flowers#groundcover#acidic soils tolerant#parasitic#ants#herb#wildflower
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#yellow flowers#groundcover#acidic soils tolerant#parasitic#ants#herb#wildflower
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Melampyrum
    Species:
    pratense
    Family:
    Orobanchaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Europe to Central Siberia
    Distribution:
    Great Britain, Western and central Asia.
    Wildlife Value:
    Food plant for the caterpillar of the Melitaea athalia butterfly.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Annual
    Ground Cover
    Wildflower
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Dense
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Available Space To Plant:
    Less than 12 inches
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Type:
    Capsule
    Fruit Description:
    Elliptic, flat, capsule roughly twice as long as calyx, usually with 4 seeds. Seeds are attached to a fleshy structure (elaiosome), rich in lipids and proteins and attractive to the ants that disperse the seed.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Head
    Solitary
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Tubular
    Flower Description:
    Single, long-tubed pale yellow flowers in the axils of the upper leaves in pairs, all turning one way; green leafy bracts. Deep golden flowers during the summer.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Opposite
    Leaf Shape:
    Lanceolate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Description:
    Broad, stalkless narrow, tapering, smooth leaves in distant pairs, each pair at right angles to those next to it.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Hanging Baskets
    Meadow
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Rock Garden
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Border
    Mass Planting
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Butterflies