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California Oatgrass
Danthonia californica
  
About California Oatgrass (Danthonia californica) 14 Nurseries Carry This Plant California oatgrass (Danthonia californica) is a native perennial bunchgrass that's useful in many landscaping applications. It is found in moist meadows and open spaces in Central and Northern California. It grows in dense tufts that can reach 3 ft in height. Flower spikelets appear between May and July. In the garden, California oatgrass can be used as an ornamental grass or it can serve as a lawn replacement that stands up to foot traffic when mowed short. It's also good for erosion control and soil stabilization.

Although it can adapt to a range of conditions, California oatgrass does better in cool, moist environments than in hot, dry landscapes. It has a high fire resistance rating and can be planted as a firebreak. This grass is a host plant for multiple skipper butterfly species. The seeds provide food for birds and small mammals.
Calscape, Schmidt, M.G, Greenberg, K.L. (2012). Growing California Native Plants (2nd ed.). University of California Press, California Flora Nursery. Danthonia californica. https://www.calfloranursery.com/plants/danthonia-californica, US Dept. of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. California Oatgrass. https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_daca3.pdf
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Grasses

Size
Size
2 - 3.3 ft tall

Form
Form
Upright

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Flower Color
Flower Color
Brown

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
This species is host plant to the Lindsey's Skipper butterfly

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 confirmed ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low, Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Keep moist

Nurseries
Nurseries

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -5° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers loamy or clay soils. Grows poorly in sandy soils.. Soil PH: 5.2 - 6.8

Common uses
Common uses
Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Use with other moisture-loving plants of northern California, such as Cloumbine (Aquilegia eximia or formosa), Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum), Stream Orchid (Epipactis gigantea), Sneezeweed (Helenium sp.), Lotus (Hosackia sp.), Iris sp., Lilium sp., Lupinus sp., Monkeyflower (Mimulus sp.), Buttercup (Ranunculus sp.), and Bee Plant (Scrophularia californica)

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19, 20, 21, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Moist meadows and open places

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 9.6" - 154.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.20" - 5.82", Coldest Month: 10.8" - 54.1", Hottest Month: 34.1" - 76.8", Humidity: 0.01" - 24.34", Elevation: 3" - 14090"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Danthonia californica var. americana,Danthonia californica var. californica


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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