Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is a tall, perennial grass that commonly forms extensive single-species stands along the margins of lakes and streams and in wet open areas, with a wide distribution in Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. The stems can reach 2.5 meter in height. The leaf blades are blue-green when fresh and straw-colored when dry. The flowers are borne on the stem high above the leaves and are pinkish at full bloom. While possibly native to North America, European cultivars have been widely introduced for use as hay and forage on the continent; there are no easy traits known for differentiating between the native plants and European cultivars (White et al. 1993).

Plant type

Grass

Size

5 - 8 ft Tall

Form

Upright

Growth rate

Fast

Calscape icon
Color

Yellow, Pink

Flowering season

Spring

Special uses

Water features or wet habitats

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Water

Moderate

Soil description

Adaptable, tolerant of sand, loam and clay.

Propagation

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Site type

Wet streambanks, moist places, grassy places,

Plant communities

Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland, Yellow Pine Forest, Wetland-Riparian

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

1 confirmed and 1 likely

Confirmed Likely

Olive Green Cutworm Moth

Dargida procinctus

Woodland Skipper

Ochlodes sylvanoides