Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

California Meadow Barley (Hordeum brachyantherum ssp. californicum) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and short-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 1.6 feet, with active growth during the spring. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the mid spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in meadows, pastures and streambanks, at elevations from 0-8500 feet.

Plant type

Grass

Size

2 - 3 ft Tall

Form

Upright

Growth rate

Slow

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Calscape icon
Color

Yellow

Flowering season

Spring

Sun

Partial Shade

Water

Low, Very Low

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil description

Tolerant of a variety of garden soils as long as sufficient moisture is available.

Site type

Meadows, pastures, streambanks

Plant communities

Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Lodgepole Forest, Red Fir Forest, Subalpine Forest, Valley Grassland, Yellow Pine Forest, Wetland-Riparian

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 8 likely

Confirmed Likely

Venerable Dart

Agrotis venerabilis

Glassy Borer

Apamea devastator

Alfalfa Looper Moth

Autographa californica

Pale Yellow Dune Moth

Copablepharon grandis