Eastern Wild-rye is a native perennial cool-season ornamental grass found in bottomland forests, upland prairies, glades, marshes, stream banks, pastures, fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas in Canada and the U.S.A. It is considered a NC Special Concern species. The plant grows in clumps up to 1 foot tall. The flower spikes rise up to 4 feet tall with bristly wheat-like inflorescences that sway in the breeze. They are followed by seed heads that mature to tan and continue to add interest to the plant into fall. It will freely self-seed. Eastern Wildrye is easy to grow in moist, fertile, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade. and tolerates a wide range of soil types. The root system makes it very good for erosion control. Use this plant in naturalized areas, slopes or stream banks. This plant provides shelter to small mammals and insects and is deer resistant.
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.