Timothy Grass
Phleum pratense · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae
Grass Category
Pasture/Forage Grass, Hay, and Lawn/Turf
Variety / Cultivar
Common Timothy (wild type)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. Excellent cold tolerance, but struggles with extreme summer heat and humidity.
About This Grass
Forms upright clumps with light to medium green leaves, reaching heights of 20-40 inches when unmowed, though maintained as a turf it sits lower. The most notable feature is the distinctive, dense, cylindrical, spike-like panicle (resembling a cat-tail or brush) which turns grayish-brown at maturity.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are medium width (3-6 mm), flat, hairless, with a pointed tip and prominent parallel veins. Vernation is rolled in the bud. The ligule is membranous and blunt, and auricles are absent.
Root System
Fibrous and shallow to moderately deep, featuring a characteristic corm-like swelling at the base of the stem (haplorm). Moderate establishment speed and forms loose sod.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe, now widely naturalized and cultivated throughout North America, Asia, and cool temperate regions globally.
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump-forming) with occasional short underground rhizomes, forming moderately dense stands but does not form a tight, aggressive sod.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial sun. Prefers moist, fertile soils with high water-holding capacity. Moderate to high water needs; poor drought tolerance compared to deep-rooted grasses.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 2.5 to 3.5 inches. Moderate maintenance level for pastures, higher if maintained as turf due to seed head production and sensitivity to close mowing.
Special Characteristics
High nutritional value and palatability for livestock and horses as hay. Low traffic and wear tolerance; intolerant of heavy grazing or close, frequent mowing.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America. Excellent for forage, hay production, and wildlife nesting cover. Can act as a weed in fine turf settings.