Tickle Grass Agrostis hyemalis
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- Ah-GROH-stis hy-eh-MAY-liss
- Description
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Winter bentgrass is a native perennial plant in the grass family (Poaceae) found throughout the eastern and central United States including North Carolina. It grows in poor dry to moist soils in disturbed areas such as fields, meadows, roadsides and along powerlines.
This grass will grow 1 to 2 feet tall with a similar spread and prefers full sun to partial shade in dry sandy well-drained soils. In areas where the soil is very poor, it may act more like an annual but readily reseeds itself. It is adaptable to more fertile and moist soils.
Winter bentgrass grows in wispy clumps with both sterile and fertile culms (stems). The grass can grow very quickly and set seed by early summer. Once the taller fertile flowers mature, the culm breaks off at the base to be blown around in the wind.
This grass could be used for erosion control of areas with poorer soils. It also provides wildlife benefits to bees and butterflies and could be use in a rock or pollinator garden.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Agrostis
- Species:
- hyemalis
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: ON
- Wildlife Value:
- Provides nesting habitat for stem nesting bees. Some skipper butterflies will use the plant as a host.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- 6-9 inch long panicle of greenish or purplish spikelets.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Type:
- Sheath
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Wispy narrow 2-4 inch long green leaves are alternate along the stem
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Smooth round light green stems
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rock Garden
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Poor Soil
