CHRYSOPOGON zizanioides

Virtuous perennial herbaceous of Poaceae family, native to India but already spread in several tropical areas over the world and in mediterranean areas, Italia included. Leaves are long, robust, tight, linear, enough erect and of a soft green color. When old and dried, they still remain on the plant: all togheter they reaize wide tufts which sometimes can exceed 1,50 m of height. in summer a lot of ethereal and purple spike-shaped inflorescences appear on this plant: the only ornamental moment, however fleeting, on the life of this plant. Its peculiarity is the root system that although it is very extensive is distinguished by the depth reachable (2-4 m).

It prefers bright and sunny positions, occasionally semi-shaded, and wet medium texture soils. It tolerates moderate drought, while it is delicate if exposet to saltiness or strong cold. In the garden it can be used with other essences to realize tropical borders but it certainly excels for other requirements: its roots. Because of its rapidity to colonize soils, above all near rivers or watercourses, this graminacea is often used in the 'natural engineering' where it has given rise to the known 'vetiver system': its rich and vigourous root system allow to contrast the soil erosionand realize the constructed wetland of soils contaminated by heavy metals (above all lead and zinc) hydrocarbon or extreme chemical substances. It can also be used for perfumes, cosmetics and ayurvedic medicine thanks to the high concentration of a very smell essential oil, extacted by this plant roots.