Foxtail Barley
Hordeum jubatum · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae, tribe Triticeae
Grass Category
Native Prairie Grass / Invasive/Weed Grass / Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (no specific commercial cultivars widely used for turf)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 9, demonstrating excellent cold tolerance and adaptability to varied climates.
About This Grass
Perennial grass featuring distinctive, nodding, silky seed heads that turn a shiny pale green to purplish or straw color as they mature. Grows up to 1-2 feet tall.
Blade Characteristics
Flat, narrow blades (2-4mm wide) with a pointed tip, grayish-green color, rolled in the bud (vernation). Membranous ligule with absent auricles.
Root System
Fibrous and moderately deep root system, allowing it to survive in dry or disturbed conditions and poor soils.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to North America and northeastern Asia, common in open plains, wet meadows, and disturbed saline soils.
Growth Habit
Bunch-type, forming dense clumps and expanding via short rhizomes or abundant seed production.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun. Tolerates a wide range of moisture from moist soils to drought conditions once established, and exhibits high tolerance for saline soils.
Mowing & Maintenance
High maintenance if managed as a weed in turf; low maintenance in native settings. Not typically mowed as a traditional lawn grass due to the barbed awns which can injure livestock.
Special Characteristics
Features sharp, barbed awns on the seed heads that can cause injury to the mouths and eyes of grazing animals. High tolerance to alkalinity and salinity.
Ecological Information
Valuable for wildlife cover and soil stabilization in native disturbed areas, but considered a weed in pastures and agricultural settings due to the hazards posed by its awns.