Ruchgras

Succeeds in most soils. Dislikes shade. This is one of the earliest grasses to flower in the year, it produces a lot of pollen and is a major irritant to people who suffer from hay fever. The dried plant releases a strong and persistent fragrance with a refreshing pungent smell that is difficult to describe but is somewhat like newly-mown hay.

Edible Parts: Seed Edible Uses: Tea Seed. The seed is very small and its use would be fiddly[K]. A tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves. A sweet pleasant fragrance. Some caution is advised, see notes at top of the page.

Basketry Pot-pourri Strewing The aromatic leaves and dried flowers are used as a strewing herb, they are also woven into baskets and used in pot-pourri. The plant contains coumarin - this is used medicinally and also in rat poisons where it prevents the blood from co-aggulating and thus means that the slightest cut can kill the rat.

Heimisch: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Canary Is., Central European Russia, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, Engerdal, Finland, France, Føroyar, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kriti, Krym, Larvik, Lebanon-Syria, Madeira, Norway Eingeführt: Alabama, Alaska, Aleutian Is., Amsterdam-St.Paul Is., Antipodean Is., Argentina Northeast, Argentina South, Arkansas, Assam, Bolivia, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, British Columbia, California, Cape Provinces, Chatham Is., Chile Central, Chile South, China Southeast, Colombia, Colorado, Connecticut, Costa Rica, Delaware, District of Columbia, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, Ecuador, Falkland Is., Georgia, Greenland, Haiti, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Jamaica, Japan, Juan Fernández Is., Kentucky, Kerguelen, Kermadec Is., Korea, Kuril Is., KwaZulu-Natal, Louisiana, Macquarie Is., Madagascar, Maine, Marquesas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Mississippi, Reunion, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha