Soft Brome (Bromus thominii)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Biennial
- Exposure
- Full sun
Cultivation
Succeeds in a sunny position in most well-drained soils. The plant produces open, wind pollinated flowers and also cleistogamous flowers - these do not open and are self-fertilized. The report regarding edibility in gives this species as a synonym for B. thomasii, but only the section Holmberg.
Propagation
Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ and only just cover. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. If seed is in short supply it can be surface sown in a cold frame in early spring. When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. Division in spring. Large clumps can be planted out direct into their permanent positions whilst it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are ready to be planted out.
Edible uses
Seed - cooked. The seed is small and fiddly to utilize[K].
Habitat
Meadows, waste places, and on dunes, shingle banks and cliffs, mainly in southern Britain.
Native range
W. Europe, from Britain and France to Scandanavia.