Giant Blue Wild Rye Leymus racemosus
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Elymus racemosus
- Phonetic Spelling
- LEY-mus ray-se-MO-sus
- Description
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Mammoth wild rye is a perennial ryegrass that is native to Europe, Asia, Mongolia, New Zealand, and is now found in a few western and mid-western states in the USA. This plant is found in a wide variety of terrains, such as wet forests, drylands, coasts and soils with high saline concentrations. It is a cool-season, clump-forming, spreading, fast-growing, drought-tolerant grass. The leaves will grow 8-16 inches long. The flowers are on a tall spike in May to June.
This rye has been successfully hybridized with wheat to improve its resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. These include fungal infections and nitrogen pollution for the modern wheat plant. This plant has also been utilized as a grain in some parts of the world.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Can be weedy.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Glaucus
- Glaucus
- Glaucus
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Glaucus
- Glaucus
- Glaucus
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Elymus
- Species:
- racemosa
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- SE. & E. Europe to Siberia and Caucasus
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
- Habit/Form:
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Coarse
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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)
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Fruit Type:
- Caryopsis
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- The spike is 6 to 14 inches tall with 3-8 spikelets per node. Spikelets are sessile with 4-6 florets. and are hairy
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Cream/Tan
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- steel-blue flat foliage is 8-16 inches long and .3 to .7 inches wide
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Dry Soil
- Heat
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Weedy
