Luzula sylvatica
Great Wood-rush
Common names: Greater Woodrush, Wood Woodrush
At a glance
- Light
- Shade
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- May–Jun
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The great wood-rush, botanically Luzula sylvatica, is not a true grass but a member of the rush family (Juncaceae). It grows wild in beech and mountain forests of Central Europe. Its broad, glossy green leaves have white hairy fringes along the margins and form dense, evergreen tufts. With short runners, it gradually spreads into mats. The foliage reaches 20 to 30 cm in height. In May and June, loose panicles of chestnut-brown flowers appear on stems 40 to 60 cm tall. In the garden, it is a solution for difficult sites: under trees, along shaded walls, and in dry shade where little else grows. Varieties with light leaf margins or yellowish foliage are also available. Where it thrives, it can overgrow small neighboring plants.
Care instructions
Plant the great wood-rush in spring or September in shade or partial shade, in humus-rich, fresh soil. Allow about 35 cm of spacing, as the area will fill in over the years. In the first year, water regularly during dry spells; later, it tolerates dry summers as well. No fertilizer is needed, and fallen leaves can be left in place. No pruning is required: in spring, comb out brown leaves from the tuft with your fingers, and cut off the flower heads after flowering if you do not want seedlings. Common mistakes include full sun during drought, waterlogging, and planting too close to neighbors, as it can overgrow small perennials.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–Apr, Sep
FloweringMay–Jun
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 5 °C, ideally 15 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 42 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, loamy, well-drained
The greater wood-rush grows in beech and mountain woodland on humus-rich, fresh, rather acidic to neutral soil. In the garden, loamy soil with plenty of leaf mould suits it ideally, and sandy soil works too if you improve it with compost. It likes very chalky soils less. It copes better than most perennials with root competition under trees and with dry shade, but needs water now and then during long dry spells. It does not tolerate permanent waterlogging.
Feeding
Light feeder
The greater wood-rush needs no fertiliser. In the woods it lives off the leaves that turn into humus every year. Leave fallen leaves lying in the garden or spread a thin layer of leaf compost in autumn. In a container, it is enough to replace the soil with fresh, humus-rich soil in spring every few years.
Overwintering
The greater wood-rush is fully hardy and stays green even in winter. In the bed you do not need to do anything. The fallen leaves may stay where they are. In a container, place the pot against a sheltered wall, wrap it in horticultural fleece or hessian in hard frost and water sparingly on frost-free days so the root ball does not dry out.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- From seed
The easiest way to propagate the greater wood-rush is by division in spring or in September: dig up a clump, divide it into palm-sized pieces with roots and plant them straight away in the new spot, which you keep evenly moist. Sowing is possible but slow: in March, April or September, scatter the fine seeds on moist seed compost, press them down lightly, cover them at most with a very thin layer and keep them bright and moist until they germinate after a few weeks. For woodland edges and naturalistic plantings, use regional seed from your area.
For your garden
Grow Great Wood-rush yourself
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