African Couchgrass
Digitaria abyssinica
- Native to:
- Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, DR Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaya, Mozambique, Namibia, New Guinea, Nigeria, Réunion, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Forest and Kim Starr
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Digitaria
- Species:
- Digitaria abyssinica
- USDA Symbol:
- DIAB
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from rhizomes after fire; common in fire-prone African savannas.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- thrives in disturbed areas and grasslands
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily in warm conditions with adequate moisture.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI