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Macrochloa tenacissima
Also called Esparto Grass
Alfa grass is a large, tough perennial grass from dry parts of North Africa and Spain that forms steppe-like tufts. It thrives in hot, dry, sunny sites with sandy or rocky, well-drained soil and needs little water once established.
Macrochloa tenacissima, synonym Stipa tenacissima, (esparto, esparto grass, halfah grass, alfa grass, or needle grass) is a perennial grass of northwestern Africa and the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Phylogenetic and morphological evidence indicated that the species did not belong in Stipa, and recent sources treat the species as Macrochloa tenacissima as a result.
Macrochloa tenacissima is native to the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, and northwestern Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya). It grows in dry, sandy or rocky and base rich soils, forming a steppe-like grassland. It has been managed by people for centuries.
Macrochloa tenacissima produces a fibre product called esparto which is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles as well as for making paper.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Macrochloa tenacissima by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
