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Phleum pratense

Common name:	Timothy	Family:	Gramineae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	17, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Two allergens producing strong skin reactions and a haemaglutinating action have been isolated from timothy pollen. The pollen contains several flavonol-glycosides, among them dactylin (isorhamnetin-31,4-diglucoside)[269].
Range:	Britain.
Habitat:	Common in meadows throughout Britain, though rare in the north[17].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	P. nodosum[B,G] P. parnassicum[G] P. pratense ssp. nodosum[B] P. pratense var. nodosum[B,G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Common Timothy [B], Herd's Grass [L], Timothy [FEIS,P,L],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	pratense = in meadows
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Cyperales. Renamed to Poaceae -- Grass family
Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds	From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia , DEFRA Injurious Weeds
	Listed as noxious/invasive for: USA Invasive.

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower in July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Cancer.

Stored sterile timothy extracts arrested the growth of Sarcoma 45 and other tumour types[269].

Other Uses

Biomass Hair.

The stems have been used to make hair brushes[257].
The plant can yield up to 15 tonnes of plant material per hectare and is a potential source of biomass[269].

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in a sunny position in any ordinary soil[200]. The plant is not drought tolerant[269]. Timothy grass is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 35 to 176cm, an annual temperature range of 4.4 to 18.6° C, and a pH of 4.5 to 7.8[269]. The plant is best adapted to a cool, humid, temperate climate, growing best on rather heavy, deep and moist or even wet soils[269]. Yields are lower on light dry soils and sands[269]. The optimum temperature for growth is 18.3° - 21.6° C varying with day/night temperatures of 15° /10° C and 21° /15° C[269].
Timothy grass is a very variable species that is commonly grown as a hay grass. Several named forms have been develped[17, 269]. A short-lived perennial it is a common cause of hayfever[257].
An attractive addition to the wild flower meadow, the inflorescence dries and dyes well so is used in dried flower displays[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ, only just covering the seed. If seed is in short supply, it can be surface sown in a pot in a cold frame. Ensure the pot does not dry out. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant out in the summer.
Division in spring.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[FAO] Data (Description, Habitat, Location and Use) from the FAO's Grassland Index.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HEC] Use, Folk Medicine, etc. from Handbook of Energy Crops by James Duke
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.

References for phleum pratense (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

[269] Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983
Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of plants.

Readers Comments

Vegan-Organics - The Basic Principles.

paul kosuth (prkosuth@midwest.net) Tue Apr 24 01:43:13 2001

What about the use of Timothy grass as a green ground cover? I ask because we have rabbits and get Timothy for them to eat. Some of it get put into their litter boxes so it mixes with the ercycled newspaper pellits (the litter) plus poop and pee. I have put this around some plants in the garden, turining over the fresh grass as it grew tall this spring. The arthworsm seem to proliferate arond these spots (due to the poop). Is the Timothy an ok green cover? Is this something I should expand upon this all?

Details of Growing Condition: Southern Illinois. In town. Limited light but decent soil in my raised beds due to my composting efforts..

Cross references: Web-pages: Vegan-Organics - The Basic Principles..

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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