Hordeum jubatum Seeds

Hordeum jubatum, also known as Foxtail Barley, is an adorable annual grass. It forms loose and dense clumps, with light green ribbon-like leaves that are adorned with an abundance of silky and shiny pink panicles, which turn beige as they mature. It is particularly beautiful in backlight, when the sun and wind play through its moving silhouette. It is a modest-sized plant, easy to combine in the garden, that thrives in ordinary soil, even dry, in full sun. It self-seeds easily. Its inflorescences make lovely dried bouquets.

Hordeum jubatum is an annual and hardy plant, or an ephemeral perennial, from the Poaceae family. It is native to North America and northeastern Asia. It forms upright and arching clumps, reaching a height of 50 to 70cm (20 to 28in), composed of numerous light green linear and ribbon-like leaves. It blooms from June to October. This plant produces upright stems carrying 7 to 13cm (3 to 5in) long panicles, which are light and drooping. They are composed of silky spikelets with long, fine, silver-pink beards. The beards turn beige when ripe.

This grass is almost an annual, as it self-seeds easily in the garden. It appreciates dry and sunny soils, where it naturalises easily, mixing with annuals in wild meadows or with plants for dry soil in rock gardens. It can be used in mass plantings, in borders, and flower beds. Plant it alongside carnations or at the base of shrub roses. It will lighten the foliage of dahlias for a pretty effect. For dried bouquets, cut the inflorescences before they ripen and then dry them.