Melinis repens (Wild.) Zizka subsp. repens
Natal red top · bergrooigras (Afr.)
Hardy, low-maintenance tufted grass with rosy-red feathery heads in spring and summer.
What’s in the name: Melinis: from a Greek word for millet; repens: "creeping".
“To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle”
— Walt Whitman, Miracles – Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Project Gutenberg
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Poaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants (assessed as Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka subsp. repens)
Natural distribution & habitat
Widespread in subtropical and tropical Africa, and also in South America, the West Indies and western Asia.
Size & form
Short-lived perennial (annual in some areas), 0.25–1.5 m, with narrow green leaves.
Flowering
September to April: red to pink flower heads.
Care notes
Easy from seed in spring or early summer, ideally in plugs in a well-drained mix; germinates within about two weeks in full sun. Keep seedlings moist and plant out once well rooted.
Wildlife value
Birds eat the seed and use the plant for nesting material.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Melinis repens'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka subsp. repens (assessment 2005/06/30).