IN THE GARDEN
and millets, and also bamboo which is used in construction. Today, grasses are used in the production of many items such as fibres, starch, aromatic oils, alcohol, sugar, baskets and buildings. Some members of the family are also invaluable in stabilising soils such as the native marram grass ( Ammophila arenaria ), which grows on coastal sand dunes. Some have also been widely used in traditional medicines for the treatment of ailments. And, of course, many provide food and habitat for a large range of birds, mammals and insects. Members of the grass family are distinguished by their slender leaves bearing longitudinal parallel veins, and their panicles of spikelets, or grass flowers. Species are evergreen or deciduous, and are annual, biennial or perennial in their habit, with the bamboos being woody. Their stems, or culms, are hollow and the sheathed leaves have a broad base with which they appear to clasp the stems. Grasses in the garden Given the size of the family, and its wide ornamental appeal, there is a grass for all garden styles and conditions. A grass garden can be impressive, and here at Cambridge University Botanic Garden our Systematic Beds contain a display of members of the Poaceae, which highlights the diversity within the family. THE SPICE OF LIFE Grasses can come in all different shapes and sizes – and from across the globe – including the Stipa gigantea (below left), bamboo (right) and Calamagrostis brachytricha (below right)
If you feel encouraged to dive into the world of grasses , be sure to pick the right plant for the right place
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2026 73
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