Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Time to harvest
- 70–90 days
Cultivation
Requires a light well-drained soil in a sunny position. Cultivated for its edible seed in tropical and sub-tropical areas.
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
Edible uses
Seed - raw or cooked. It can be used like rice in sweet or savoury dishes, or can be ground into a powder and used as a flour for making bread, porridge etc.
Medicinal uses
The plant is appetiser and tonic. The fruits have been rubbed on open facial pimples in order to get rid of them.
Habitat
River banks in sandy soils, common as a weed.
Native range
E. Asia - China.