Bena
Vetiveria zizanioides
Grasses & Groundcovers Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
Vetiveria zizanioides (syn. Chrysopogon zizanioides — vetiver or ‘Bena’ in Odia, also called Khus) is a tall perennial grass of the Poaceae family. Roots yield vetiver oil (khus oil) used in perfumery, cooling drinks (khus sherbet), and Ayurvedic medicine. Roots are woven into screens (khus khus tattis) that are soaked in water and used to cool air in summer. The plant is extensively planted for soil erosion control.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun to partial shade
💧
Water
Regular
💨
Humidity
Moderate
🌡️
Temperature
15-38°C
🪴
Soil
Well-draining loam
🧪
Fertilizer
Compost annually
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Indian Subcontinent
- 📏 Max height
- 0.5-3 m
- 📐 Spread
- Spreads via rhizomes
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White-yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 40+ years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds, division
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic
Common issues
- Leaf spot, caterpillar defoliation
💡 Care tips
- Plant in well-draining soil with appropriate light. Tolerates Indian tropical conditions.
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