About
Hordeum murinum subsp. murinum, the wall barley, is a tufted annual grass to 30 cm with narrow, flat leaves and dense, bristly spikes of greenish spikelets with long awns in late spring. A common native annual of walls, verges and waste places.
About the genus
Hordeum, the barleys, are annual or perennial grasses with flat, linear leaves and dense, bristly spikes or panicles in summer. They range from important cereal crops to ornamental grasses grown for their decorative, bristled seedheads.
Growing conditions
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectNorth-facing, East-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH7
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitClump forming
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden
Native toJapan
Care notes
CultivationGrow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in part shade with shelter from cold, dry winds. See hosta cultivation
PruningRemove spent foliage as required and clear up dead foliage when it dies back at the end of the growing season
PropagationPropagate by division in late summer or early spring
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to slugs and snails; plants in pots may be susceptible to vine weevil
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to a virus