PERENNIAL GRASSES

Weeping alkaligrass, Puccinellia distans

Turf niche: rare in natural populations; can be a contaminant of seed mixtures

Herbicide management: none; not competitive in normal maintenance.

Alkaligrass is a cool-season grass species found throughout the northern United States, growing in soils with medium to high salt levels.

Alkaligrass is a fine-bladed, bluish-green, bunch-type grass.

The seedhead is an open panicle with four- to six-flowered spikelets.

Alkaligrass is often used on roadsides where salting is carried out for the purpose of snow and ice removal.

Foxtail barley, Hordeum jubatum

Turf niche: mostly found in for turf conditions. Very common on Highway right of ways.

Herbicide management: selective preemergence.

Foxtail barley is a cool-season perennial grass found throughout the United States except in the southeast.

It is a medium-bladed, yellow-green grass with a bunch-type growth habit.

The seedhead of foxtail barley is a spike with one-flowered spikelets and extremely long awns.

Foxtail barley germinates early in spring and is a persistent pest in semiarid areas.

Dallisgrass, Paspalum dilatatum

Turf niche: serious, common past of Southern turfs. Populations are usually light, but well dispersed.

Herbicide management: none; selective preemergence.

Dallisgrass is a warm-season perennial.

It is coarse-bladed and light yellow.

Dallisgrass is one of the first grasses to begin growth in the spring.

It occurs extensively throughout the warm, humid region.

The seeds are borne on a tightly branched raceme seedhead with rows of four tightly grouped spikelets.

Dallisgrass can be an aggressive grass in medium-maintained turfs.

Johnsongrass, Sorghum halepense

Turf niche: found in low management turf; Very common.

Herbicide management: none; early postemergence.

Johnsongrass is a warm-season perennial grass found in high-cut, low-maintenance turfs.

It is a pale green, coarse-bladed rhizomatous grass, and a persistent pest in many crops.

The seedheads of johnsongrass are open panicles with paired spikelets, the bottom spikelet having a long distinctive awn.

Johnsongrass is a difficult-to-control weed in highway rights-of-way in the south.

Its persistence can be minimized through frequent mowing at low heights.

Orchardgrass, Dactylis glomerata

Turf niche: mostly found in low management turf

Herbicide management: none

Orchardgrass is a cool-season, perennial grass found throughout the United States.

It is principally used as a pasture or forage grass but can be introduced to turf as a contaminant in seed mixtures.

It is a coarse-bladed pale green bunch grass.

The seed head of orchardgrass is a short-branched panicle of four-flowered spikelets.

In low-maintenance turf, orchardgrass is generally a problem only where it is introduced during establishment.

Timothy, Phleum pratense

Turf niche: mostly found in seedbeds.

Herbicide management: none

Timothy is a cool-season perennial grass found throughout the northeastern United States.

Timothy is commonly used as forage or pasture grass and occurs as a weed in low-maintenance turf, where it is introduced in seed.

It is bluish green and grows in coarse-bladed, bunch-type clumps.

The seedhead of timothy is a single terminal spike with one-flowered, awned spikelets.

It is easily recognized by the swollen or bulb-like stems at the base of each shoot.

Velvetgrasses, Holcus lanatus and H. mollis

Turf niche: Not common, but could become a serious pest.

Herbicide management: none

H. Ianatus is fibrous rooted and H. mollis is rhizomatous.

They are grayish green with fine pointed leaf blades.

The seedhead is a shortly branched panicle of two-flowered spikelets in bunches.

Velvetgrass survives close mowing and can be a persistent pest in moist soils