California Guide to Grasses
About This Guide | Mixtures & Blends | Overseeding | Turfgrass Facts | Lawn & Turf
Parks & Cemeteries | Sportsfields | Pastures, Meadows & Hillsides
SOIL STABILIZATION & RANGELAND SEEDING
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COMMENTS |
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lbs./acre |
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Salt Tolerance |
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dant |
ornia Native |
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GRASSES |
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| Alkaligrass Puccinella distans |
Variety: Fults, often used for turf. |
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| Barley Hordeum vulgare |
Winter annual. Cereal grain. Grows fast. Does not reseed. |
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| Barley, Meadow Hordeum brachyantherum |
Fast Growing. Ideal nurse crop for long-lived native grasses. Short-lived. |
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| Blue Gramma Bouteloua gracilis |
Ornamental densely tufted, stoloniferous. Long-lived. |
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| Bluegrass, Big Poa ampla |
Variety: Rubens, high elevati.on, low fertility |
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| Bluegrass, Canada Poa compressa |
Shade tolerant, low growing. Roadsides, recreation areas. |
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| Blue Wildrye Elymus glaucus |
Fast growing, good for site stabilization. Adapted to shady, woodland, forest environments. Short-lived. |
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| Buffalo Grass Buchaloe dactyloides |
Best on clay soils, also used for turf. Native to Great Plains. |
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| Brome, Blando Bromus mollis |
Quick erosion control, annual, reseeds, below 4000’ also called Soft Chess. |
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| Brome, Red Bromus rubens |
Good for soil stabilization. Annual. Reseeds. |
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| Brome, Smooth Bromis inermis |
Variety: Manchar, easy to establish, high elevation, good soil stabilizer. |
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| Fescue, California Festuca californica |
Tall, ornamental. Tolerant of shape and serpintine soils. Long-lived. |
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| Fescue, California Red Native Festuca rubra ‘molate’ |
Attractive fine bladed rhizomatous grass. Can be mown. Long-lived, California Native cultivar ‘Molate Blue’. |
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| Fescue, Idaho Festuca idahoensis |
Ornamental, fine bladed. Summer dormant. Native to Western U.S. |
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| Fescue, Hard Festuca longifolia |
Varieties: Reliant, Atilla, Waldina. Hot areas require irrigation; fine texture, shade. |
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| Fescue, Sheep Festuca ovina |
Variety: Covar, MX-86, shade tolerant. Use as ground cover, or in wildflower mixtures. |
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| Fescue, Zorro (Foxtail) Festuca megalura |
Native, annual, reseeds, adapted to much of arid California. Extensive root system. |
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| Fountain Grass Pennisetum ruppelii |
Popular for non-irrigated highway use. Attractive plants. |
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| Needlegrass, Purple Nassella pulchra |
Fine bladed, tufted. Good on disturbed slopes. |
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| Needlegrass, Desert Achnatherum speciosum |
Densely tufted. Occurring in arid mountain slopes of southeast California. Long-lived. |
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| Orchardgrass Dactylis glomerata |
Varieties: Paiute. Long-lived perennial. |
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| Purple Three-Awn Aristida purpurea |
Ornamental, tufted bunchgrass with nodding reddish panicles. Easily established from seed. |
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| Reed Canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea |
Best on poor drained soils, cool areas. Forage and erosion control. |
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| Sudan Grass Sorghum vulgare |
Variety: Piper. Best for hay or pasture. |
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| Timothy Pheleum pratense |
Cool, moist areas, shade tolerant, higher elevations. Does not tolerate drought or heat. |
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| Weeping Lovegrass Eragrostis curvula |
Establishes rapidly, short lived, lacks winter hardiness. |
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| Wimmera Ryegrass Lolium rigidum |
Reseeding annual, adapted to heavy soils. Earlier maturing. |
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| Wheatgrass, Crested Agropyron cristatum |
Varieties: Fairway, Nordan, also used for turf. Easily established. |
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| Wheatgrass, Intermediate Agropyron intermedium |
Variety: Tegmar, lower growing; Oahe, shade tolerant. |
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| Wheatgrass, Pubescent Agropyron trichophorum |
Varieties: Luna, Topar, similar to intermediate. Good erosion control. Late maturing. |
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| Wheatgrass, Slender Agropyron trachycaulum |
Tall, fast growing. Good for site stabilization, short-lived. |
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| Wheatgrass, Streambank Agropyron riparium |
Shade tolerant, low growing. Roadsides, recreation areas. |
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| Wheatgrass, Tall Agropyron elongatum |
Abundant forage, poorly drained soils. |
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LEGUMES |
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| Alfalfa Medicago sativa |
Hay pasture or erosion control, deep rooted. Easily established. |
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| Birdsfoot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus |
Wet & poorly drained sites, hay, pasture or erosion control. Long-lived, deep rooted, yellow flowers. |
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| Clover, Alsike Trifolium hybridum |
Shade tolerant, cool, moist sites. |
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| Clover, Crimson Trifolium incarnatum |
Best along coast. Annual. Reseeds. |
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| Clover, Ladino Trifolium repens latum |
Variety of white clover with thicker stems and stolons. Large growth form. |
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| Clover, Red Trifolium pratense |
Cool, moist sites. |
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| Clover Rose Trifolium hirtum |
Variety: Hykon, will grow on very poor sites. Heavy reseeder, slow establishment. Dryland pasture. |
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| Clover Strawberry Trifolium fragiferum |
Variety: O’Connors, very popular in Southern California for erosion control. Short, creeping, easy to establish. |
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| Clover, Subterranean Trifolium subterraneum |
Variety: Mt. Barker |
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| Clover, White Dutch Trifolium repens |
Shallow rooted, cool, moist sites. |
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| Clover, Yellow Sweet Melilotus officinalis |
Aggressive, shade tolerant. |
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| Vetch, Lana Woolypod Vicia dasycarpa |
Irrigated or moist sites. Easily established. Self-seeding annual. |
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| Vetch, Purple Vica benghalensis |
Best near coast, hay & pasture. |
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| KEY: (E) = Excellent, (VG) = Very Good, (G) = Good, (F) = Fair, (P) = Poor, (C) = Clay, (S) = Sandy, (R) = Rocky |
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ZONE # CLIMATE TYPE 1 © 2008 Stover Seed Company
2
3
4
5
Southern Coastal and Foothills
Interior Valley
Desert
Northern Coast and Foothills
Mountains
About This Guide | Mixtures & Blends | Overseeding | Turfgrass Facts | Lawn & Turf
Parks & Cemeteries | Sportsfields | Pastures, Meadows & Hillsides
1415 East 6th Street • P.O. Box 21488 • Los Angeles, California 90021
(213) 626-9668 • (800) 621-0315 • FAX (213) 626-4920
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED