Pampas grass?

[patandchickens]

As far as I know, Pampas grass is Cortaderia sp., a totally different thing than Phragmites.

Phragmites is arguably native to N America but undisputedly the European strains that *are* introduced are a major pest in damp soils in most of the East and I would expect much of the rest of the country too.

Pampas grass (Cortaderia) prefers drier soils, and is not as fast-spreading as Phragmites. But still gets loose in many areas and takes off on its own.

Another cultivated grass that is a feral pest around here is some sort of largish pinkish-seed-headed Miscanthus (I think).

Pat

 

[Sylvie]

As far as I know, Pampas grass is Cortaderia sp., a totally different thing than Phragmites.

Phragmites is arguably native to N America but undisputedly the European strains that *are* introduced are a major pest in damp soils in most of the East and I would expect much of the rest of the country too.

Pampas grass (Cortaderia) prefers drier soils, and is not as fast-spreading as Phragmites. But still gets loose in many areas and takes off on its own.

Another cultivated grass that is a feral pest around here is some sort of largish pinkish-seed-headed Miscanthus (I think).

Pat

That's the problem with common names. Here phragmites is called pampas grass. I included the name phragmites to specify which I was referring to. We have an extensive marsh in NE Ohio that has been colonized by phragmites. The park naturalists refer to it as both pampas grass and phragmites in the public lectures and articles because of the local word usage.