Dragonfly Basket Grass

Description

• Dragonfly basket grass grows its leaves slightly more off the ground than most grasses. Its leaves can be green, white or pink. The name that it most often goes by, dragonfly basket grass, is derived from the appearance of the plant's leaves, which looks like large and elongated dragonfly wings. The plant looks much more like thick clusters of creeping leaves than grass, and people who are not familiar with it will often not recognize it as grass upon first sight.

General Care

• Aside from its exotic look, Oplismenus hirtellus has gained popularity among gardeners for its resilience in most growing conditions. It grows well in areas receiving regular sunlight and in shaded areas, and it can hold up with little water as long as it is not for a prolonged period of time. For the first few weeks after planting it, water it once a day. After it begins to develop, it can go longer without water, but if it is in an area that receives a lot of sunlight and experiences high temperatures, keeping up an irrigation regimen of once a day will ensure its health. Because of its beautiful look, which is more like a flowering plant than a grass, some people choose to grow it in pots. Cut it back when it begins to grow over the sides too much.

Control of Spread

• The downside of planting dragonfly basket grass in a yard is the possibility of it spreading. It can easily take over areas where you've planted other vegetation. At the first sign of the plant beginning to spread beyond a desired area, apply a herbicide. Glyphosate is a herbicide that has proven particularly effective. Noticing spread early on and taking measures to control it are important parts of preventing your dragonfly basket grass from becoming a pest rather than a pleasure.

Diseases and Pests

• Dragonfly basket grass has few pests. From time to time aphids may cause a nuisance by chewing holes in the leaves, but they rarely cause enough damage to warrant action. In the event that aphids do begin to cause significant damage, apply an insecticide. Few diseases pester the plant either. The most common diseases are several varieties of leaf spot caused by the presence of a fungus. You can identify leaf spot by brown circular spots on the surface of the leaves. All varieties respond to fungicides. Regular irrigation, with careful attention to not overwatering, and cutting the plant back as it grows both reduce the chances of disease and pests significantly.