Japanese Stiltgrass
Japanese Stiltgrass(Microstegium vimineum)is nearly the only wild grass growing in our woods in the late summer of 2022. While this grass is an attractive green in the hot summer months when many other types of grass have browned and gone to seed, it is not a grass type you want in your yard, according to my research. Stiltgrass is non-native and invasive and threatens native plants and natural habitats; Farmers also don't like it because their livestock rarely eats it.
I find it essential, nevertheless. It is the only living plant on our trail to help curb erosion. And since it is lush and plentiful, it is a good understory plant for insects. Yet, a lot of my research tells me it's a harmful plant.
I found some good news, though, regarding the plant's possible importance. On the Nomad Seed Project website, the writer says that Japanese Stiltgrass doesn't deserve its bad reputation for a variety of reasons (read the comments on the article as well. They are fastinating, especially the one about deer in relation to the grass). And a scholarly breakdown posted on Urban Habitats mentions, "Little research has been done to examine the potential role of invasive plant species as a surrogate component of wildlife habitat."
Stiltgrass has been in the United States since about 1919. You can't miss it here, it grows everywhere in Washington County. Yet it is native to Japan, China, Korea, and Maylasia. I wonder how it fares in these places? I am interested in learning more about this grass type that's been here for over 100 years.
