Velvet Crabgrass

Digitaria velutina

Native to:
Angola, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gulf of Guinea Is., Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Poaceae
Genus:
Digitaria
Species:
Digitaria velutina
USDA Symbol:
DIVE2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Annual
Growth Habit:
Graminoid
Height:
60 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
jul,aug,sep,oct

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
birds
Fire Ecology:
Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
Fire Notes:
Resprouts from base after fire; typical of warm-season grasses adapted to disturbance regimes.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
dry to moderate
Notes:
native to arid and semi-arid regions

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
None required
Germination Time:
7–21 days
Notes:
Warm-season grass; germinates readily in warm, moist conditions without pretreatment.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI