Downy oatgrass is a native perennial sedge or rush in the grass family (Poaceae) native to the eastern United States from Pennsylvania south to Florida and west to Texas. In North Carolina, it is found along roadsides, forest edges and rocky outcroppings in the coastal plains and the Piedmont, but is uncommon in the western mountains. The plant can reach a height of 6 feet, a spread of 4 feet, with small, almost invisible, flowers that appear in spring as spikelets in terminal panicles with conspicuous bristles. Downy oatgrass prefers moist or occasionally dry, sandy soils and partial to full sun. It is rhizomatous with fibrous roots. Downy oatgrass is an attractive grass with short leaves and tall stems. The common names comes from the hairs that cover the seed heads and leaf sheaths. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.