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Picture Common name Scientific name Height Flowering Period Light Requirement Moisture Requirement Description
Indian ricegrass - Achnatherum hymenoides Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides 8-30” May-July
Bunchgrass with numerous leaves and attractive seed heads. Prefers sandy soils. Reproduces by seed. Forage for birds. Good stabilizer for soils susceptible to wind erosion.
Thurber’s needle grass - Achnatherum thurberianum Thurber’s needle grass Achnatherum thurberianum 12-24” May-June
Perennial bunchgrass with purplish inflorescences, 3 to 4 inches long. Effective in reducing wind and water erosion on sandy or loamy soils.
Tufted hairgrass - Deschampsia cespitosa Tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa 8-48” June-August
Perennial, cool season, tufted bunchgrass. Inflorescence 4 to 12-iches long. Good for reclaiming disturbed soils at high elevation.
Bottlebrush squirreltail - Elymus elymoides Bottlebrush squirreltail Elymus elymoides 4-25” May - August
Cool-season, perennial bunchgrass. Inflorescence 1 ti 7 inches long. Easily established in open or disturbed sites. Competitive with weedy grasses such as cheatgrass.
Idaho fescue - Festuca idahoensis Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis 1-3’ May-July
Cool-season, perennial bunchgrass with fine, narrow leaves, blue to green in color.
Needle and thread grass - Hesperostipa comata Needle and thread grass Hesperostipa comata 1-4’ June
Cool-season, perennial bunchgrass with interesting 4 to 5-inch twisted awn that stems from the inflorescence.
Prairie junegrass - Koeleria macrantha Prairie junegrass Koeleria macrantha 6-24” April - June
Perennial, cool season, tufted bunchgrass. Several seed heads arise from basal cluster of narrow leaves. Green to purplish inflorescence.
Basin wildrye - Leymus cinereus Basin wildrye Leymus cinereus 3-6’ Early to mid-summer
Large, robust, cool season, perennial bunchgrass that is long-lived. Diameter 2 to 4 feet wide. Provides good cover for birds and wildlife. Good soil stabilizer.
Sandberg bluegrass - Poa secunda Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda 8-16” June
Cool-season, short-lived, perennial bunchgrass with smooth deep blue green leaves, 8 to 16-inches long. Grows in either small tufts or large tussocks. Early spring growth provides cover for nesting upland game birds.
Bluebunch wheatgrass - Pseudoroegneria spicata Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata 1.5-4’ June
Long-lived, cool season bunchgrass with extensive root system. Leaves green to blue color. Seed spikes, 3 to 8 inches long. Provides cover for nesting upland birds. Good soil stabilizer.