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Giant Blue Wild Rye Leymus racemosus

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Elymus racemosus
Phonetic Spelling
LEY-mus ray-se-MO-sus
Description

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:
  • Glaucus
Glaucus
Tags:
#ornamental grass#spreading#blue-green leaves#gray-green leaves
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • Glaucus
Glaucus
Tags:
#ornamental grass#spreading#blue-green leaves#gray-green leaves
  • 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
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
    Habit/Form:
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    High
    Texture:
    Coarse
  • 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
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Cream/Tan
    Fruit Type:
    Caryopsis
  • 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
  • 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
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Dry Soil
    Heat
    Wet Soil
    Problems:
    Weedy