Teff
Eragrostis tef
The world's smallest grain and the flour of injera; a fine, quick grass that shrugs off drought and wet feet.
Hardiness: zones 8 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 3 ft tall, 0.5 ft wide
Harvest: August to September
From: Ethiopian highlands
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food.
Native to: African savannas & tropics. Hardy in zones 8 to 11.
The story
Teff was tamed in the Ethiopian highlands several thousand years ago and is still the country's most widely grown crop. Its flour ferments into injera, the soft, sour flatbread that is plate and spoon at every meal.
Planting
Full sun, sown on the surface of a firm, fine seedbed once the soil is warm. The seed is like dust; barely cover it.
Growing
It grows fast and copes with both drought and waterlogged ground. Keep weeds down while it is small.
Harvest and use
Cut when the heads turn straw-coloured, about three to four months from sowing. Dry, thresh on a sheet and winnow gently.
What to watch for
The tiny grain is fiddly to clean by hand. Tall plants lodge in wind and rich soil.
See if Teff fits your yard
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More annual vegetables, herbs and grains
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home