Oat-like Grasses

Blue Oat Grass

• Blue oat grass (Helictrotrichon sempervirens) grows throughout most of the United States, except for the Great Plains and California coastal regions. This plant has gray-green or bluish leaves. When mature, blue oat grass grows up to 30 inches tall. June through August is the primary growth season for this oat-like species. Blue oat grass prefers to grow in full sun, but tolerates light shading. This plant is native to Central Europe and cultivated in the United States as an ornamental grass.

Tuber Oatgrass

• Also known as Arrhenatherum elatius, tuber oatgrass is originally native to Europe, but was introduced to the United States as a meadow grass. In the United States, tuber oatgrass is primarily found in the Pacific Northwest. Tuber oatgrass reaches heights of 6 feet and outcompetes native grasses for sunlight and resources. Gardeners view tuber oatgrass as pests and use herbicides to eliminate this grass from their lawns.

Northern Sea Oats

• Also known as inlet sea oats, northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) are native to the southeastern United States and northern Mexico. Horticulturists plant northern sea oats as an ornamental for rock gardens; the green seed heads on northern sea oats turn bronze in the fall. From June to September, northern sea oats produce small, white flowers. Northern sea oats initially grow straight up. When they mature, though, a northern sea oat's stalk arches; mature northern sea oats are 3 feet tall.

California Oatgrass

• Native to the Pacific Coast, the California oatgrass (Danthonia californica) is a bunch grass, or a grass that grows in bunches. California oatgrass is a common grass used by landscape artists for revegetation or restoring grasslands that have suffered from erosion or drought. This grass also grows in western Canada and Chile. California oatgrass produces seeds from its open and closed flowers. This grass has straight stalks and reaches heights of 3 feet.

Poverty Oatgrass

• One of the most common oatgrasses in the United States and Canada is the poverty oatgrass (Danthonia spicata), says the United States Forestry Service. This grassy plant features 4- to 6-inch long leaves that twist as the plant matures. Poverty oatgrass is able to live approximately two to three years. Male and female flower parts appear on each poverty oatgrass specimen.