Esparto grass

Tough esparto grass, known locally as alfa, covers millions of hectares of the High Plateaus and has supplied fibre for paper, baskets and rope for centuries.

A perennial grass forming dense tussocks up to about 1 m tall, with long, stiff leaves that roll into tubes during drought to reduce evaporation. In spring it sends up tall, feathery inflorescences. It grows on dry steppes and slopes receiving about 200–400 mm of rain a year, protecting the soil from wind erosion. Since antiquity its strong fibres have been woven into mats, baskets, sandals and ropes, and in the 19th and 20th centuries they were exported to Europe in bulk to make high-quality paper.

Significance in the country

The esparto steppes of the High Plateaus are one of Algeria’s most characteristic landscapes and the mainstay of sheep pastures. The country was once a leading exporter of alfa to British paper mills, but today these steppes are shrinking through overgrazing and desertification.

Where it grows

On the High Plateaus and in the Saharan Atlas – from Naâma and El Bayadh provinces in the west, through Tiaret, Djelfa and M’Sila, to Tébessa in the east.

More: Wikipedia (en)