Description

Agropyron cristatum,
Crested Wheatgrass (Introduced)

Medium height, 1 – 2 ft. tall, long-lived, drought, cold and somewhat fire-tolerant, cool-season, vigorous bunchgrass. Adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. Does well on a wide variety of soils, but best on well-drained loamy soils. Good palatability in spring and late fall, but unpalatable during summer dormancy. Easily established. Vigorous growth rate and competes well with cheatgrass. Tolerant to close grazing. Very important range, pasture and wildlife habitat improvement grass. Minimum precip. is 9 – 10 inches. Plant fall or spring ¼ – ½ inch deep. 250,000 seeds/lb.

Named Releases: ‘Fairway’ (Cultivar) Recognized in 1950 as shorter and having denser, finer stems and less productive than standard crested at lower elevations.

‘Douglas’ (Cultivar) Released in 1994 by the ARS in Logan, UT and the NRCS. Origin was from several accessions from USSR, Iran and Turkey. Douglas has broader leaves, excellent seedling vigor, greater fire resistance and remains green longer than other crested wheat grasses. Requires 13 – 14 inches precip.

‘Ephraim’ (Cultivar) Released in 1983 from a Turkey accession by the UDWR and NRCS. Weakly rhizomatous at precip zones above 14 inches.

‘Roadcrest’ (Cultivar) Released in 1998 by Logan, UT ARS. Significantly more rhizomatous than Ephraim. Recommended for roadside cover and other low-maintenance turf applications.

USDA: Plant Profile | Plant Guide | Fact Sheet