Elymus virginicus
Growing Information
• Plant Type: Grass
• Sunlight: Sun to part shade
• Soils: Prefers heavy, rich, moist soils but will tolerate average sandy soils in shadier spots
• Bloom Time: March, April, May. Seed drops end of spring/early summer
• Size: Up to 4ft
A true problem solver! Mix with an aggressive warm season spreader like Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata) for a seed mix that can quickly reclaim eroded landscapes and out-compete problematic invasives like Japanese Knotweed (alongside cutting and hand-pulling first resprouts). Great for re-establishing native vegetation after intensive invasive species control or construction on moist slopes. Provides cover and food for wildlife.
Garden Companions
Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata), Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Scarlet Beebalm (Mondarda didyma), Mountain Mints (Pycnathemum sp.)
Nature Benefits
• Rapid groundcover for protecting exposed soil from invasive weeds.
• Provides food for waterfowl and granivorous birds.
• Provides cover for frogs, small mammals, and birds.
Natural Habitat
Riverbanks, moist slopes and woodland edges, pasture.