The plant known as esparto, whose scientific name is very tenacious stipaIt is a herbaceous plant that looks great in gardens, rocky or not. By having many leaves and growing very close together, it makes the visual effect spectacular. But do you know the best?
The fact that it is not difficult to care. 🙂 In fact, you just have to know a few things that I will now tell you to have your copy healthy.
Origin and characteristics
Our protagonist is a perennial herb native to the Western Mediterranean (Balearic Islands, the Ebro valley, Andalusia, Madrid, Castilla La-Mancha and the Maghreb). Its current scientific name is Macrochloa tenacissima, but its synonym is still used very tenacious stipa. It is popularly known as atocha or esparto, and belongs to the grass family -something that is very important to know if we have an allergy to the pollen of these plants-.
Reaches a height of up to 1 meter, and forms scattered clumps in which the leaves sprout from the center of the plant, so that the old ones are hidden. In spring their flowers sprout, which are spikes called atochín.
What are their cares?
If you dare to have a copy, we recommend that you provide it with the following care:
- Location: outside, in full sun.
- Earth: grows on all types of soils.
- Irrigation: during the first year it is recommended to water 2-3 times a week; From the second onwards, the risks can be spread out.
- Subscriber: there's no need.
- Multiplication: by seeds in spring.
- Rusticity: withstands cold and frosts down to -4ºC.
What uses does it have?
Apart from being used as an ornamental, For more than 6000 years the esparto from used (ba) to make ropes and cordage on the ships that sailed the Mediterranean. To this day, it is still used in cordage, but also to make paper pulp, corduroy fabrics, tows for plaster, xero-gardening and handicrafts.
Did you find it interesting? 🙂