[MAIPC] Switch grass (not stiltgrass)

[Marc Imlay]

                      Great news. “Use of switchgrass growing in popularity for ag conservation” Bay Journal, October 2020, page 11.

 

Switch grass is native but acts invasive as a mono-culture but is not invasive when mixed with at least 50% other natives according to a USDA report. 

 

 Marc Imlay, PhD 

Conservation biologist, Natural Places Committee Maryland Sierra Club 3014425657 

Board member of the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council, 

From: NativePlantseast at yahoogroups.com <mailto:NativePlantseast at yahoogroups.com>  [mailto:NativePlantseast at yahoogroups.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 4:13 PM
To: NativePlantseast at yahoogroups.com <mailto:NativePlantseast at yahoogroups.com> 
Subject: Re: [NativePlantseast] advice on highway median plantings

 





I've seen red switch grass used in highway medians in Virginia. Tough and beautiful. I would think Indian grass also would be good.

Purple coneflower is a reliable standby.

Brown-eyed susans (Rudbeckia fulgida fulgida) are tough, reliably perennial, and have a long bloom period.

Moss phlox have a nice blooming period in the spring and then act as a ground cover the rest of the year.

 

Steve Cook

 

 

From: Marc Imlay <ialm at erols.com> 
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2015 10:39 AM
To: 'Sara Via' <svia at umd.edu>; 'mdsierra-energy-comm at googlegroups.com' <mdsierra-energy-comm at googlegroups.com>
Subject: RE: [Energy Cte] re: discussion about WaPo editorial on biomass energy

 

When the native Switch grass is planted to divert agricultural land from food production to restore native wildlife habitat that is good but it has to be required that it be done that way. Marc

 

From: mdsierra-energy-comm at googlegroups.com <mailto:mdsierra-energy-comm at googlegroups.com>  [mailto:mdsierra-energy-comm at googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Sara Via
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2015 7:02 AM
To: mdsierra-energy-comm at googlegroups.com <mailto:mdsierra-energy-comm at googlegroups.com> 
Subject: [Energy Cte] re: discussion about WaPo editorial on biomass energy

 

Marc:  It's true that the stalks etc of corn are a good source of cellulose, as is native switchgrass.  One problem with both of these as an energy source, however,  is what happened during the ethanol boom. The price for ethanol was high enough to encourage planting on good agricultural land for ethanol production from corn and sugar cane.  This caused tropical forests to be cleared (for sugar cane) and diverted agricultural land from food production-- two very undesirable outcomes of biomass fuel.

Sara

 

Dr. Sara Via
Professor

Department of Biology and

Department of Entomology

University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

svia at umd.edu <mailto:svia at umd.edu> 



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