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Arizona
Range Grasses Back to the Table of Contents
Growth habit: A moderately leafy, summer-growing
perennial bunchgrass growing erect from a moderately vigorous and sparsely
branched base to a height of about 3 feet.
Occurrence Wilman lovegrass, an introduction from South Africa, occurs
only where seeded in revegetation tests and primarily at elevations
below about 4,500 feet in central and southern Arizona. It is not adapted
where temperatures drop below 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit nor where mean
annual precipitation is less than about 14 inches. This grass thrives
best on medium-textured, deep soils that are neither strongly acid nor
strongly alkaline. Forage Value Wilman lovegrass is moderately palatable, being more so than Lehmann lovegrass, and rather comparable in this respect to sideoats grama. It is particularly well liked by rabbits, a feature that makes establishment difficult in areas where these animals are abundant. Like the other introduced lovegrasses, Wilman grows well during early spring and produces more spring forage than most of the native perennial grasses. When Wilman lovegrass is seeded on depleted ranges it should be sown as a pure stand over areas sufficiently extensive to constitute the bulk of the feed produced in a given pasture. Otherwise, it will probably be grazed out and the expense and effort of seeding wasted. Stands should not be grazed until at least the second summer growing season. Although the plants are not unduly sensitive to grazing pressure, use should be moderate with periodic summer deferment.
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Cooperative
Extension,College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of
Arizona