Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Calamagrostis canadensis is a species of grass known by the common names bluejoint and Canadian reedgrass. It is native to most of northern North America, including most all of Canada and all of the continental United States except for the South. It can be found in many types of habitat, including forest, taiga, and tundra in subarctic regions. It is the most common and widespread Calamagrostis species on the continent. It is a perennial grass with a branching stem reaching heights between 60 centimeters and 1.5 meters. The flat, drooping leaves are rough with tiny hairs. The flower cluster is up to 25 centimeters long and may be open and loose or narrow and densely packed with spikelets. Each spikelet is about half a centimeter long and purplish in color. It is a palatable food plant for livestock and wild grazing animals. It is a tough rhizomatous grass that provides soil stability in wet areas and is one of the first plants to reestablish on sites of recent oil spills. It can be a nuisance on sites of forest revegetation because it can outcompete conifer seedlings.

Plant type

Grass

Size

2 - 5 ft Tall

Form

Upright

Growth rate

Moderate

Calscape icon
Color

Green

Flowering season

Spring

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Soil drainage

Standing

Soil description

Prefers loamy or clay soils. Grows poorly in sandy soils.

Propagation

For propagating by seed: No treatment; 5 days stratification may improve germination.

Site type

Bogs, moist meadows and open places

Plant communities

Lodgepole Forest, Red Fir Forest, Subalpine Forest, Wetland-Riparian

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 2 likely

Confirmed Likely

Arctic Skipper

Carterocephalus palaemon

Yuma Skipper

Ochlodes yuma