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Summary

Physical Characteristics

Avena_sterilis is a ANNUAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[57]. The seed ripens in the latter half of summer and, when harvested and dried, can store for several years. It has a floury texture and a mild, somewhat creamy flavour. It can be used as a staple food crop in either savoury or sweet dishes. The seed can be cooked whole, though it is more commonly ground into a flour and used as a cereal in all the ways that oats are used, especially as a porridge but also to make biscuits, sourdough bread etc. The seed can also be sprouted and eaten raw or cooked in salads, stews etc. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

References More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

The straw has a wide range of uses such as for bio-mass, fibre, mulch, paper-making and thatching[171]. Some caution is advised in its use as a mulch since oat straw can infest strawberries with stem and bulb eelworm.

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in full sun[200]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 to 8. Occasionally cultivated for its edible seed, the yields are lower than those of A. sativa[57]. It is probably a parent of the cultivated species of oats[142]. This species could be of value in any breeding programme for the cultivated oats (A. sativa) where it could confer disease resistance and higher yields. Oats are in general easily grown plants but, especially when grown on a small scale, the seed is often completely eaten out by birds. Some sort of netting seems to be the best answer on a garden scale.

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in early spring or in the autumn. Only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Winter wild oat, animated oat; sterile oat; wild oat. Spanish: avena caballuna; avena estéril; avena loca. French: avione animee; avione sterile. Portuguese: balanco-maior. Germany: Schmuck-Hafer; Traub Hafer; Winter Flughafer. Italy: avena sterile. Netherlands: haver, loop-. South Africa: groot wildehawer; red wild oats; rooiwildehawer; tall wild oats; wild oats; wildehawer.

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Egypt (Sinai), Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan TROPICAL ASIA: India (northwest), Pakistan EUROPE: Switzerland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Russian Federation (Volgogradskaja oblast), Ukraine (Krym), Bulgaria, Greece (incl. Crete), Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal AFRICA: Spain (Canarias), Portugal (Madeira Islands), Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia (north)

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so itâ€™s worth checking.

This plant can be weedy or invasive. United States: (animated oat)Noxious weed. Alabama:Class A noxious weed. California:Quarantine. Florida:Noxious weed. Massachusetts: Prohibited. Minnesota: Prohibited noxious weed. North Carolina: Class A noxious weed. Oregon:Quarantine. South Carolina:Plant pest. Vermont: Class A noxious weed. Highly invasive in cultivated and disturbed ground and has probably already invaded many suitable regions of the world.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Height	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other
Avena sterilis	Sterile Oats, Animated oat	Annual	1.0	0-0		MH	N	DM	3	0	2

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

Avena_sterilis - L.