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moreplantsplease

Luzula nivea 'Lucius'

moreplantsplease
17 years ago

Hi all.

has anyone grown this plant in zone 5?

Luzula nivea 'Lucius'

My property has normal soil - not overly damp. Any feedback. Can I start with plugs?

Thanks!

Sue

Comments (4)

  • donn_
    17 years ago

    I'm growing this grass in zone 7, from seed I bought from Jelitto. I'm not certain, but I believe the "Lucius" moniker is the name of the taxonomist who ID'd it, and it's the same as the species Luzula nivea.

    It's listed as hardy to zone 4, and I grew the species in zone 5 NE Ohio in the past. It stayed evergreen there, just as it does here. I've grown it in every kind of soil, and in exposures ranging from part sun to part shade.

    It's one of my favorite small grasses. I love the hairy foliage, and the blooms are very long lasting. I have about a dozen plants now, and plan to start several more from collected seed this year. I intend to mass it in shady spots in my garden, as a groundcover.

  • moreplantsplease
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thank you very much. That's encouraging. I've never tried to grow grasses from seed (maybe I'm lazy). I think I'll give it a whirl. Where to does one go to get seed and can I sew it directly into the ground or do I need to start it inside?

    Sorry for the questions...but thank you for the help.
    :)

    Sue

  • donn_
    17 years ago

    Sue..I bought them from Jelitto, in Germany. They have the largest selection of ornamental grass seed of any seed vendor (184 listings today), and they ship US orders from Louisville, KY.

    Other sources include Ebay, and seed traders right here on Garden Web.

    If you want to send me a stamped self-addressed bubble envelope, I'll send you some collected last fall from my plants. My email address is on my page. Send me an email, and I'll send you my snailmail address.

    I start cool season grasses by winter sowing, outdoors. I'll start Luzula in March. See the FAQ at the Winter Sowing Forum for details on how it's done. If you sow them directly, there's a great chance they'll either be eaten by birds, or washed away by rain before they can germinate. Winter sowing prevents this, and yields very hardy seedlings.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Jelitto

  • moreplantsplease
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks - I'm heading to the winter sowing forum to read up.

    :)

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