Junegrass, Koeleria macrantha

About Junegrass (Koeleria macrantha) 37 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Koeleria macrantha is a species in the Poaceae (Grass) family known by the common name Junegrass. It is native to much of North America, from Alaska to northern Mexico to the eastern United States. In California it is found from the coast to the mountains but is largely absent from the deserts and central valley. It occurs in a large number of habitat types, especially prairie. This is a short, tuft-forming perennial bunchgrass, reaching heights from 20 to 70 centimeters. The leaves are basal and up to about 20 centimeters long. The flower cluster is nearly cylindrical and may taper somewhat toward the tip. It holds shiny tan spikelets which are sometimes tinted with purple, each about half a centimeter long. It is a good forage for many types of grazing animals and is sometimes used in golf course rough.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Grasses

Size

0.7 - 2.3 ft tall
1 ft wide

Form

Upright

Growth Rate

Slow, Fast

Dormancy

Summer Semi-Deciduous

Flower Color

Yellow, Brown

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Plants in the Koeleria genus are host plant for the Columbian Skipper butterfly
Butterfly gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed

, 2 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Columbian Skipper Hesperia columbiaHesperia columbia

Nevada Skipper Hesperia nevadaHesperia nevada

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade

Moisture

Very Low

Nurseries

Carried by 37

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -15° F

Soil Drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description

Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants

Use as an understory with Oaks (Quercus sp.) or other trees. Also useful in a meadow-like garden or rock garden with other native grasses, annual wildflowers, herbaceous perennials such as California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), succulents such as Dudleya spp., and various cactus species.

Sunset Zones?

1, 2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 10, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Dry open clay or rocky places

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 4.9" - 113.6", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 4.39", Coldest Month: 17.5" - 56.7", Hottest Month: 36.3" - 84.4", Humidity: 0.12" - 35.52", Elevation: 1" - 14243"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Prairie Junegrass

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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

Junegrass

Koeleria macrantha

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JunegrassKoeleria macrantha

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Junegrass

Koeleria macrantha