Bottle Grass Setaria viridis
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- set-TARE-ee-uh VEER-ih-diss
- Description
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Green foxtail is a weedy and aggressive annual grass native to Eurasia. It reproduces by seeds and can produce several generations in a single season. It will grow in sun to part shade in most soils, either moist to dry, blooms early and all season and spread quickly.
The inflorescence is 1-4 inches long and often nods at the tip. The leaves are up to 12 inches long, 1 inch wide and light green. The form is multi-stemmed and spreading. It prefers disturbed areas with poor soil and usually doesn't invade high-quality natural areas as much. Some small mammals and grazing animals will eat this plant.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Setaria
- Species:
- viridis
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Old World, Australia
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Weed
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Prostrate
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- 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:
- Clay
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Caryopsis
- Fruit Description:
- Oval, tapered and flattened seeds fall from the spikelet
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Flowers:
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- Spike-like panicle that is 1-4 inches long, erect and often nods as it reaches the tip. 2-6 spikelets (flower clusters) are densely packed along the panicle. At the base of each are 1-3 bristles that are green or purple
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Sheath
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Light green leaves are 2-12 inches long and about .5 to 1 inch wide with fine but distinctive veins and a drooping form. They are scabrous above, usually glabrous below and sheaths are sometimes purplish at the base with a few hairs.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Description:
- Stems are green, smooth, erect to ascending the lower part is often prostrate, then grows upward.
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Landscape:
- Problems:
- Weedy
