Rhodes Grass
Chloris gayana
- Native to:
- Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Caprivi Strip, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, DR Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf States, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Madeira, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
JMK
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Chloris
- Species:
- Chloris gayana
- USDA Symbol:
- CHGA2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- green
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from the root crown following fire. Commonly used in fire-prone tropical and subtropical grasslands.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained sandy loam
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Thrives in open grasslands and savannas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily with warm temperatures (25-35°C) and light exposure. No pretreatment required.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI