Canada Wild Rye
Elymus canadensis
Most common native cool-season prairie grass. Distinctive arching nodding seed heads with long curved awns — wheat-like but more graceful. Quick to establish; useful as a 'nurse grass' in prairie plantings.
- Family
- Poaceae
- Type
- grass
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 2–5 ft
- Spacing
- 2–3 ft apart
- Light
- sun, part shade
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- March, April, May, June
- Bloom colors
- yellow, green, brown
- Wildlife value
- butterflies, larval host
- Landscape uses
- specimen, naturalizing
- Native states
- AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
Related native plants
More Elymus species
- Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)
- Virginia Wild Rye (Elymus virginicus)
- Blue Wildrye (Elymus glaucus)
- Hairy Wild Rye (Elymus villosus)
- Slender Wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus)
- Thickspike Wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus)