Early Wild Rye
Elymus macgregorii
A valuable cool-season woodland grass native to rich floodplains. Sends up upright, wheat-like seed spikes early in spring, offering valuable forage and seed. Forms tidy clumps and adapts well to shaded, clay-heavy soils.
- Family
- Poaceae
- Type
- grass
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 2–4 ft
- Spacing
- 1–2 ft apart
- Light
- part shade, shade, sun
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- May, June
- Bloom colors
- yellow, green, brown
- Wildlife value
- songbirds, mammals, larval host
- Landscape uses
- border, naturalizing
- Native states
- AR, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, TN, TX, VA
Related native plants
More Elymus species
- Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)
- Virginia Wild Rye (Elymus virginicus)
- Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis)
- Blue Wildrye (Elymus glaucus)
- Hairy Wild Rye (Elymus villosus)
- Slender Wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus)