Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

ORCHARD GRASS

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Dactylis glomerata L.

Mitchell County, Kansas

Perennial

Height: 18-48 inches

Family: Poaceae - Grass Family

Flowering Period: May, June

Culms:

Erect, hallow, smooth.

Blades:

Flat or folded, 3-17 inches long, less than 1/2 inch wide, mid-vein conspicuous beneath, rough on surfaces and margins when mature; tips tapered to points.

Sheaths:

Closed toward bases, glabrous; margins overlapping and fused.

Ligules:

Membranous, irregularly cut or torn.

Inflorescences:

Panicles, 2-8 inches long; major branches few.

Spikelets:

In crowded 1-sided clusters, on short stalks, 2-6-flowered, oblong, around 1/4 inch long, pale green to purplish; glumes and lemmas pointed or with short awns.

Habitat:

Fields, meadows, pastures, woodlands, lawns, and waste areas.

Distribution:

Throughout Kansas.

Origin:

Orchard grass was introduced to North America from Europe in the 18th century. It is now naturalized.

Forage Value:

It was cultivated as a pasture and hay grass and provides good forage for livestock and deer.

Comments:

Tufted. Orchard grass spreads aggressively and can become troublesome in lawns. It grows particularly well in shaded areas. When flowering, the pollen of orchard grass causes hay-fever.

Orchard grass inflorescence