Common Grasses & Meadow Plants

Jim Kennedy, NH Coverts

• Identification
- Ecology
- Agronomy
- Gestalt

• Gramminoids
- Grasses
- Sedges
- Rushes

• Forbs
- Wildflowers
- Legumes
– Ferns
- Weeds
Enfield Shaker Museum - North Field
 Grasses - Identification
1
Characteristics of Forage and Pasture Grasses Found in the Northeast U.S.
Species Growth Habit Seedhead Leaf Characteristics Other Characteristics
Bluegrass (Poa spp.)
Kentucky – P. pratensis
Canada – P. compressa
Short, low growing perennial
grasses; they form a dense sod
spreading by short rhizomes;
Ky BG is dark green and Can. Midrib has two
BG is blue-green grooves and is
Leaves fold in bud translucent in
shoot Kentucky Canada light Narrow leaves with boat shaped tip
Many short rhizomes Panicle with very small seed Truncate ligules Leaves fold in bud shoot
Annual bluegrass
Poa annua
An annual often found near
gates and laneways where
soil is compacted
P. annua spp. reptans is a
subspecies that is Leaves have boat shaped tip and double
stoloniferous. grooved, translucent midrib when held in
Small, short panicles Pointed ligule crinkled leaves
An annual bunchgrass light; leaves folded in the bud shoot
Roughstalk bluegrass
Poa trivialis
Creeping perennial
Prefers shady, moist areas

Leaves folded
in bud shoot

Spreads by stolons; forms

dense patches Loose, green panicle Pointed ligule; rough surface Folded in bud shoot and leaf blades fold
Orchardgrass
Dactylis glomerata
Tall growing bunchgrass;
Long leaves that are lighter
green compared to other
grasses;

Leaves strongly
folded in bud
shoot
Prolific tillering grass Panicle seed head with Long, pointed ligule,
ball-like clumps Leaves strongly folded
no auricle

• see handout
for references
& links
* introduced
species
✓ key feature
 The Gestalt of Grasses©
Geastalt definition: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Where & When How & What = Who

Roadsides
Fall Weedy Areas Purple Clouds purple lovegrass
Sandy soil small seeds Eragrostis spectabilis
Tumbleweeds

Flag leaves reed canary grass

Winter Wet meadows high stems Phalaris arundinacea
thick patches
 Gramminoids (grass-like Plants)

SEDGES RUSHES GRASSES

have edges are round have joints
down to the ground

1 bract 6 bracts
under sac
under capsule 2 bracts (glumes)
(periginium) under floret
 Grasses - Types

Bunch Grasses
(cespitose)
• orchard grass
Sod-forming Grasses • red fescue
(rhizomatous & stoloniferous)
• quackgrass
• brome grasses

Cool Season Grasses (C3) Warm Season Grasses (C4)

• bluegrasses • bluestems
• fescues • switchrass
• ryegrass • crabgrass
 WHERE - Ecological Groups

HAYFIELD/PASTURE/LAWN

you
are
RIPARIAN & FLOODPLAIN here

WOODS

UPLAND & WEEDY &

PRAIRIES WASTE PLACES
COVER
CROPS &
GRAINS
WET MEADOWS
ORNAMENTALS
& MARSHES
 Grasslands & Meadows Workshop
WET MEADOWS
HAYFIELD/MEADOWS
• reed canary grass
• orchard grass*
• wool grass
• Kentucky bluegrass*
• soft rush
• timothy*
• bulrush
• meadow foxtail*
• cattails
• sweet vernal grass*
• phragmites
• smooth brome
• bluejoint grass
• perennial rye*
• tussock sedge
• narrow-leaved fescues*
• fringed sedge
• reed canary grass
• sweet vernal grass* UPLANDS
• wide-leaved fescues* • big bluestem
• winter rye • little bluestem
• barnyard grass • switch grass
• quackgrass • indian grass
• redtop • prairie cordgrass
WEEDY/WASTE PLACES RIPARIAN & FLOODPLAIN
• path rush • wild rye
• quackgrass • fringed brome
• crabgrasses WOODS
• stinkgrass - On your own
orchard grass*
Dactylis glomerata
turf grass, pastures - universal species

✓ ball-like
clumps of 1-
sided spikelets

✓ long
pointed
ligule

✓ very clumped
form, wintergreen
leaves
Kentucky bluegrass*
Poa pratensis
turf grass, pastures - universal species

✓ boat-shaped
leaf tip
3-5 branches/
✓ grooved leaf node
with
transluscent
midrib
cobwebby hairs
on lemma

glumes shorter
than first lemma

✓ open triangle-
shape panicle
Kentucky bluegrass*
Poa pratensis
turf grass, pastures - universal species

✓ gray blue
triangle-shape
panicle

bleached,
contracted head
caused by
pathogen
Timothy* meadow foxtail*
Phleum pratense Alopecurus pratensis
Forage grass - hayfields hayfields

✓ pencil spike

forked florets
(meadow foxtail has
awns)

✓ corms - “onions”

sweet tasting
stem base
Timothy vs. Meadow Foxtail

Text
Text
Text

Slide courtesy Sid Bosworth, UVM

sweet vernal grass*
Anthoxanthum odoratum
Grasslands
✓ short brown spike-
like panicle
barnyard grass*
Echinochloa crus-galli
annual weed
✓ dark brown spiny
panicle

sweet smelling
coarse leaves
short bunch grass
Reed canary grass bluejoint grass
Phalaris arundinacea Calamagrostis canadensis
Hayfields, Wet Meadows Marshes

✓ lines of leaves,
stems, heads

✓ pennant-shaped
flag leaves
long narrow
rough leaves
smooth brome* fringed bromeWarm Season
Native
Bromus inermis Bromus ciliatus Perennial
Forage grass - hayfields Riparian areas, forage in West
Rhizomatous

✓ 1-sided
long, thin ✓ drooping seed
spikelets heads with paired
with no awns florets
short awns

curly leaves -
black fungal
✓ “M” in spots
middle of
leaf
perennial rye* quackgrass* Native
Warm Season
Lolium perenne Elytrigia repens Perennial
Rhizomatous
Turf & conservation, hayfields weedy pest
zig-zag stems zig-zag stems
✓ spikelets ✓ spikelets
on EDGE FLAT
“ryeee” “quaaak”

leaf
constriction
at tip
✓ shiny
leaves, ✓ long
midrib clasping
auricles

✓ long
white
roots
Slide courtesy Sid Bosworth, UVM
winter rye* Canada wild rye
Native
Warm Season
Secale cereale Elymus canadense Perennial
Cover crop, conservation riparian areas Rhizomatous

✓ bristly seed heads

✓ gray-green
stems, leaves
little bluestem indian grass big bluestem Native
Warm Season
Schizachrium scoparium Sorghastrum nutalli Andropogon gerardii
Perennial
warm season grass warm season grass warm seasonRhizomatous
grass

✓ small fuzzy seed heads

✓ long fuzzy seed heads
✓ turkey foot

✓ bunch grass growth forms ✓ tan, orange, purple fall colors

switchgrass fall panicum Native
Warm Season
Panicum virgatum Panicum dichotomiflorum
Perennial
warm season grass weedy, waste areas
Rhizomatous

✓ cloud of panicles,
tumbleweeds

✓ wide open panicles

with single seeds
✓ tan fall color
red fescue* sheep (hard) fescue*Native
Warm Season
Festuca rubra < narrow-leaved fescues > Festuca trachyphylla (ovina)Perennial
Turf & conservation, dry fields conservation, dry fields Rhizomatous

✓ tight inflorescence
shorter
glumes,
awned
lemmas

✓ rolled, thin leaves

✓ clumping habit
meadow fescue* tall fescue* Native
Warm Season
Schedonorus pratensis < wide-leaved fescues > Schedonorus arundinaceus
Perennial
Forage, hay fields conservation, hay fields
Rhizomatous

✓ large open panicles

✓ bunch grasses

✓ wide
corrugated
lowest node leaves lowest node
1-branched 2-branched

Photos courtesy Sid Bosworth, UVM

smooth crabgrass* stinkgrass* Native
Warm Season
Digitaria ischaemum Eragrostis minorPerennial
Universal weed weedy/waste places
Rhizomatous

short form ✓ contracted

panicle
multiple
florets

✓ digitate
(finger-
shaped)
raceme
single
florets
tall form Photos courtesy Dennis Magee
common reed cattail (not a grass)
Phragmites australis Typhia latifolia
marshes wetlands

✓ narrow,
tight plumes

✓ large, open
plumes
wool grass dark green bulrush
Cyperus cyperinus Scirpus atrovirens
wet meadows, marshes wet meadows, compacted soils

✓ taller grass -
wider, loose
panicle
soft rush path rush
Juncus effusus Juncus tennuis
wet meadows, marshes trails, compacted soils

✓ dark green
clumps with
brown heads
✓ compact grass-like look
with brown seed heads
tussock sedge fringed sedge
Carex stricta Carex crinita
wet meadows, marshes wet meadows, marshes

✓ wiry leaves

✓ heads hang down

✓ raised tussocks
Common Meadow Plants

• Wildflowers

• Legumes

• Ferns

• Weeds

❁ pollinator value
 Early Flowers

❁ golden Alexanders ❁ common dandelion*

Zizia aurea Taraxacum officinale

❁ blue lupine* blue flag iris

Lupinus polyphyllus Iris versicolor
 Early Flowers

ragged robin*
Lychnis flos-cuculi

buttercups
Ranunculus spp.

blue-eyed grass
Sisyrinchium alanticum
 Daisies

ox-eye daisey*
Leucanthemum vulgare

❁ black-eyed Susan*
Rudbeckia hirta
 Milkweeds

❁ common milkweed ❁ swamp milkweed

Asclepias syriaca Asclepias incarnata

❁ butterfly milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
 Goldenrods
❁
outcurved
Group 1
early/gray/seaside flowers, basal
Solidago spp. leaves larger

Group 2
outcurved
tall/Canada/late
Solidago spp. flowers, same-
sized leaves

Group 3
downy/hairy/white spiral flowers,
Solidago spp. basal leaves
larger
Group 4
blue-stemmed/zig-zag/ spiral flowers,
slender
Solidago spp. same-sized
leaves
Group 5
grass-leaved/slender- flat-topped
leaved flowers
Euthamia spp. narrow leaves
 Asters
❁

❁ New England ❁ flat-topped ❁ smooth blue

aster white aster aster
Symphyotrichum Doellingeria Symphyotrichium
novae-angliae umbellata laeve

Photos courtesy Toby Alexander, VT NRCS

 ❁ Legumes
Slide courtesy Sid Bosworth, UVM

Text
 Ferns

sensitive fern hay-scented fern

Onoclea sensibilis Dennstaedtia punctilobula

interrupted/cinnamon fern
Osmunda spp.
 Weeds
Commonly Found Weeds in Vermont Pastures
Sid Bosworth, Extension Professor, Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Vermont sid.bosworth@uvm.edu

There are many weeds that can be found in pastures in Vermont. The following list represents some of the more commonly found
species or some of the more problematic species. According to a 2010 survey of 49 pasture farms in Vermont, the top five weeds
identified as most problematic were smooth bedstraw, common milkweed, Canada thistle, goldenrod and bull thistle. To see the
complete list, refer to Table 1.

Weeds vary in their habitat and degree of aggresive growth. Some weeds are opportunistic only showing up in open areas or
compacted areas near fence gates and watering sites. Others can be quite competitive and will spread quickly through a field or
pasture.

To see a larger image, click on the respective thumbnail picture.

Broadleaf Weeds
Bedstraw,
Smooth
Creeping perennial
Propagation by seed and
rhizomes
Very aggressive spreading
weed

Buttercup species
Simple and/or creeping
perennial
Propagation by seed (and
stolons for some species)
Mildly toxic to livestock but
usually unpalatable

Burdock
Biennial
Propagation by seed
Mostly found around
watering or feeding areas
 Worst Weeds

whorled (smooth) bedstraw*

Galium mollugo

little yellow rattle*

Rhinanthus minor

common thistle*
Cirsium vulgare
 Worst Weeds

wild parsnip*
Pastinaca sativa

wild chervil*
Anthriscus sylvestris
 Pollinator Weeds

wild carrot joe-pye weed

(Queen Anne’s lace)* Eupatoriadelphus maculatus
Daucus carota
 Pollinator Weeds

broad-leaved plantain*
Plantago major

heal-all
Prunella vulgaris
 Field Session
• Grassland Management
- Early mowing
- Mid-season mowing
- Late mowing
- Wildlife openings
- Clearcuts
- Wet meadows
• Wildlife
• Grasses, Wildflowers, & Weeds

Enfield Shaker Museum - South Field