Bottlebrush grass

Description

Elymus hystrix, or Bottlebrush grass, is a clump-forming perennial native cool season grass with unique, pale-green seed heads that resemble a bottle brush, perfect for savannas and edges of woodland areas.  It is a low maintenance grass that adds visual appeal to the landscape. Bottlebrush grass prefers sun or partial shade and moisture levels that are mesic to dry. Grass diversity is good for soil health! It adapts to wide range of soil conditions including heavy clay. Bottlebrush grass is easily grown from seed and will readily self-seed in the garden when conditions are right.

The northern pearly-eye butterfly uses bottlebrush grass, river oats, and other grasses of deciduous woodlands as its caterpillar host plants. To escape predators, these woodland butterflies often skip quickly into a clump of grasses, where they seem to disappear.

A variety of other insects feed on this grass, including grasshoppers, aphids, leaf miners, stem miners, leafhoppers, moth larvae, and more.

Seed-eating rodents and birds, such as mice and sparrows, eat the seeds. Grazing animals eat the foliage and young flower heads.

As a food for livestock, bottlebrush grass is palatable when young and tender.

Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Adapts to wide range of soil conditions including heavy clay. Easily grown from seed and will readily self seed in the garden under optimum growing conditions.  Flower heads resemble bottle brushes and are the best ornamental feature of this grass, particularly when backlit. Plant in clumps, mass or naturalize in a lightly-shaded woodland setting, native plant garden or naturalized area.

Occurs in bottomland forests and mesic (moist) to dry upland forests, less commonly margins of glades and upland prairies, ledges of dolomite bluffs, and banks of streams. Also occurs in pastures and disturbed areas. Like other low groundcover plants of woodlands, bottlebrush grass important for stabilizing soils and preventing erosion. Land managers use bottlebrush grass for restoring woodlands and savannas.

This species is commonly used in the following mixes: Companion Grass Mix – Shade