Fowl Manna Grass

Description

Glyceria striata, also known as Fowl Manna Grass, is a native perennial cool season grass. It inhabits marshes, swamps, wetlands and shorelines and grows to a height of 2.5-3 feet.

Fowl Manna Grass is the preferred host plant of a moth, Elachista irrorata. The larvae of this moth are leaf-miners. Several aphids are known to use Manna Grasses (Glyceria spp.) primarily as summer host plants, including Carolinia howardii, Rose-Grass Aphid, Rhopalomyzus poae, Apple-Grass Aphid, and Sipha glyceriae. The foliage is largely ignored by White-tailed Deer. In spite of the common name, Fowl Manna Grass isn’t an important food source for ducks, although Canada Geese will eat the foliage when this species occurs along bodies of water. Because this grass is fairly tall and occasionally forms colonies, it provides some cover for wildlife.

This grass is palatable to livestock including cattle, horse, and sheep.

This plant prefers full sun to light shade, wet to mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil. This grass requires more moisture in sunny areas than when it is growing in the shade. Most vegetative growth occurs during the spring and early summer.

Habitats include wet to mesic deciduous woodlands, swamps, damp meadows in wooded areas, prairie swales, marshes and fens, sandy and gravelly seeps, bogs, and ditches. This common grass can be found in either woodlands or wetlands of varying quality.

This species is commonly used in the following mixes: Streambank Mix, Companion Grass – Wet,