SafePlants

Quaking Grass: A Delicate Beauty

Quaking grass, with its gracefully nodding heads and distinctive trembling spikelets, adds a touch of whimsy to meadows, grasslands, and even floral arrangements. This plant, known for its delicate appearance, is sure to capture your attention with its unique charm.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant has thin stems and small, heart-shaped flower heads which could pose a choking hazard, especially for smaller pets.

Scientific Classification and Nomenclature

• Genus: Briza
• Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
• Several species within the *Briza* genus are mentioned, including:
  • Briza media (Common Quaking Grass)
  • Briza maxima (Greater Quaking Grass)
  • Briza minor L. (Lesser Quaking Grass)

Common Names

• Quaking Grass
• Rattlesnake Grass
• Totty Grass (historical, Surrey, UK)
• Big Quaking Grass
• Greater Quaking Grass
• Big Quakinggrass
• Blowfly Grass
• Fairy Bells
• Giant Shivery Grass
• Lady's Heart Grass
• Large Fairy Bells

Distribution and Habitat

Briza species are native to northern temperate regions of Eurasia, North Africa, and certain islands. They thrive in meadows and grasslands, particularly those with chalky soils. It can also be found in Fynbos environments.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• The plant features loose, trembling or "quaking" spikelets on delicate, branched heads.
• The flower heads of Briza maxima are described as hanging like scaly, heart-shaped lockets, tinged with blue-green.
• Briza media can reach heights of 22-45 cm, while other species may reach up to 60 cm or grow to be 12-18 inches tall.
• The florets are somewhat flattened in one direction, with alternating overlapping lemmas rounded on top.
• It can be annual or perennial.
• Growth habit can be tufted, clump-forming, and is considered relatively slow-spreading.

Quirky Facts

• One source describes the sound of Briza grass as "silver green spikes jangling and rustling away like billio of a summer’s day."
• Historically (c. 1960s Surrey, UK), it was known as "totty grass".

Interactions with Other Organisms

• It is favored by flower arrangers for its graceful, nodding heads.

Resources and Further Information

• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society)
• Dave's Garden
• Encyclopaedia Britannica