Bottlebrush Squirreltail
Elymus elymoides · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae, tribe Triticeae
Grass Category
Native Prairie, Pasture/Forage, and Erosion Control Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Native wild type, no major commercial cultivars widely used
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9, exhibiting high cold tolerance and winter dormancy.
About This Grass
Forms upright, fine-textured tufts or bunches. Reaches heights of 6 to 24 inches. Notable for its striking, brush-like, arching seed heads with long, stiff, spreading awns that turn a golden-tan color at maturity.
Blade Characteristics
Narrow, flat or rolled leaves (1-3 mm wide), grayish-green to green, pointed tips, with prominent parallel veins on the upper surface. Ligules are short and membranous, and claw-like auricles clasp the stem at the collar.
Root System
Fibrous, moderately deep root system that provides good slope stabilization and erosion control, though plants establish at a moderate to slow rate.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to western North America, ranging from the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump-forming) with a short-lived perennial lifecycle and limited lateral spread
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun and has low water requirements once established. Highly drought-tolerant and adapted to arid or semi-arid conditions in well-drained soils.
Mowing & Maintenance
Not typically used for lawns or mowed turf; managed as a native rangeland or natural landscape element with very low maintenance needs.
Special Characteristics
Exceptional drought and cold tolerance, excellent erosion control on disturbed or dry soils, but the sharp, barbed awns at maturity can pose a hazard to the mouths and eyes of grazing livestock.
Ecological Information
Native species crucial for western rangeland ecosystems. Provides valuable early spring forage for wildlife and livestock, stabilizes fragile soils, and naturally reseeds in disturbed habitats.