African Signalgrass
Urochloa arrecta
- Native to:
- Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Urochloa
- Species:
- Urochloa arrecta
- USDA Symbol:
- URAR2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- green
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- waterfowl
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from rhizomes and stolons following fire.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- nutrient-rich, waterlogged clay or loam
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist to waterlogged
- Notes:
- Commonly found in wetlands and riverbanks
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily in warm, moist conditions. Also spreads vegetatively via stolons and stem fragments.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI