Small Flowered Melica, Melica imperfecta

About Small Flowered Melica (Melica imperfecta) 39 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Melica imperfecta is a species in the Poaceae (Grass) family known by the common names California Melic, Small Flower Melic and Little California Melic. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California, where it grows in chaparral, woodlands, and other dry areas. In California it is found primarily in the central and southern portions of the state, along the coast, in the coastal mountain ranges, and in the foothills of the Sierras. It is a perennial bunchgrass growing up to 1.2 meters in maximum height. The flower cluster is a narrow or spreading series of attractive spikelets which are green in color with areas of purple. With supplemental water it will remain evergreen; otherwise it is summer dormant. It greens up early with fall/winter rain.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Grass

Size

3.2 - 4 ft tall
1 ft wide

Form

Upright, Fountain

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Summer Semi-Deciduous, Evergreen

Fragrance

None

Flower Color

Yellow, Brown

Flowering Season

Spring, Winter

Wildlife Supported

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Rural Skipper Ochlodes agricolaOchlodes agricola

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture

Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 39

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage

Fast, Medium

Soil Description

Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants

Use as an understory with Oaks (Quercus sp.) or other trees. Also useful in a meadow-like garden or rock garden with other native grasses, annual wildflowers, herbaceous perennials such as California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), succulents such as Dudleya spp., and various cactus species.

Maintenance

If allowed to go dormant in summer, the plant can be cut back to a few inches

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: No treatment. Best sown in fall.

Sunset Zones?

7, 11, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Dry rocky and/or sandy hillsides, canyons and mesas of central and southern California, extending into the desert edge. Found with Chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and various woodland types

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 4.8" - 57.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 3.08", Coldest Month: 25.3" - 59.1", Hottest Month: 49.0" - 87.7", Humidity: 0.47" - 38.56", Elevation: 0" - 10807"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Little California Melic, Small Flower Melic, Smallflower Melicgrass

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Small Flowered Melica

Melica imperfecta

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Small Flowered MelicaMelica imperfecta

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Small Flowered Melica

Melica imperfecta