Spiked Woodrush
Luzula spicata
- Native to:
- Afghanistan, Albania, Aleutian Is., Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Finland, Føroyar, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, India, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Labrador, Morocco, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sardegna, Spain, Svalbard, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan
Patrick Alexander (www.flickr.com) from Las Cruces, NM
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Juncaceae
- Genus:
- Luzula
- Species:
- Luzula spicata
- USDA Symbol:
- LUSP4
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 40 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- brown
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
⚠️Magdalena alpine (Erebia magdalena)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- small mammals, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from basal meristems following fire; typical of alpine and subalpine grassland species.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rocky, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 4.5 - 7.0 (acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- often found in alpine and subalpine meadows
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–42 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Not given
Establishment: The provided protocol lacks specific information on propagation source, pre-treatment, establishment protocol, temperature, germination rate, and germination time range for Andromeda polifolia.
Source: npn.rngr.net