Grasslands

Grasslands in the wild

The term ‘grassland’ encompasses various meadow-like habitats dominated by grasses. These habitats include meadows, steppes and prairies. Naturally, these habitats are shaped by climate: it is too cold or too dry for taller shrubs or trees. The largest proportion of the Earth’s land surface is covered by grassland, where trees are absent or play a minor role.

Grassland in the garden

In the garden, grassland usually takes the form of naturalistic plantings that develop a dynamic of their own. Here, grasses are used extensively and in large numbers. They thus define the character of the space. Grassland should and is allowed to change. These plantings reveal their particular charm especially in large-scale landscapes, whereby the choice of grasses plays an important role, as there are many species among them that spread readily, such as couch grass (Elymus repens) or, in warmer climates, Mexican feather grass (Nasella tenuissima). Climate change favours grassland, as the plants are generally drought-tolerant and, to a certain extent, low-maintenance.

Is all grass the same?

In botany, four families of grasses are distinguished. The largest family is that of the grasses (Poaceae), comprising around 780 genera and over 12,000 species worldwide. This family includes most of our cultivated grasses, such as maize (Zea mays), rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum spec.), oats (Avena spec.), sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) and bamboo (Phyllostachys spec.). They have a stem segmented by nodes and inconspicuous flowers, often arranged in spikes or panicles. The second-largest family is the sedges (Cyperaceae), comprising around 100 genera and over 5,500 species. They can be distinguished from grasses by their often triangular, pithy stems and the absence of nodes. In our latitudes, there are also the rush family (Juncaceae), with over 400 species, and in the southern hemisphere, the restion family (Restionaceae).