Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Pascopyrum is a monotypic genus of grass containing the sole species Pascopyrum smithii, which is known by the common name western wheatgrass. This is a sod-forming rhizomatous perennial grass which is native and common in North America. It grows in grassland and prairie in the Great Plains, where it is sometimes the dominant grass species. It is the state grass of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. It is a valuable forage for animals such as bison and black-tailed prairie dogs, and it is good for grazing livestock. It is used for revegetation of disturbed and overgrazed habitat, and many cultivars have been developed to suit various conditions.

Plant type

Grass

Calscape icon
Color

Brown

Sun

Full Sun

Site type

Dry alkeline flats

Plant communities

Sagebrush Scrub, Wetland-Riparian

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 4 likely

Confirmed Likely

Apamea cuculliformis

Nevada Skipper

Hesperia nevada

Darted Wainscot

Leucania insueta

Woodland Skipper

Ochlodes sylvanoides