Grasses at a Glance
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field of squirreltail barley

Identifying squirreltail barley

While working in tallgrass prairie restorations in central Minnesota, I was responsible for identifying and recording presence and abundance of native and non-native plants. I remember coming upon a clearing that was full of squirreltail barley, Hordeum jubatum, which seemed to form a...
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grass in a pollinator garden

Popular native grasses for the home landscape

Grasses can help provide groundcover, increase root competition to keep other native plants shorter, improve soil health, and increase water capture. While there are many popular non-native grass options for sale, consider adding some native grasses to your garden. Non-native grasses like...
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Clumps of feather reed grass in a garden

Taking a look at Feather Reed Grass

When it comes to plant selections in landscaping, much of the focus is typically put on trees, shrubs, and showy flowers. But take a closer look at many landscaped areas and you’ll often find a few grasses. Grasses are underappreciated but can often provide four season interest in the landscape....
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woman outside holding a grass

How to use range maps to help when identifying grasses

If you are new to grass ID, or even experienced with it, and you come across an unknown grass, the options of possible grasses can be overwhelming! In Illinois, there over 400 possibilities, including subspecies and varieties. Luckily there are several online mapping tools that are easy to use that...
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hand holding small grass

Identifying Carolina Foxtail, a winter annual

I recently received an inquiry from a farmer to identify an unknown grass he found on his property. This led me to a grass I’ve never identified before, but I had seen for years along the interstate and never knew what it was! Let’s take a look at Carolina Foxtail, Alopecurus carolinianus...
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grass flowers

Time to think about crabgrass

Crabgrass isn’t usually a problem until summertime, but effective management starts this spring. Many cultural choices, like how often and how high you mow your lawn, can impact the ability of crabgrass to establish.  About crabgrassThere are several species of crabgrass in Illinois, but the...
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woman standing in a field holding a grass

Welcome back to the Grasses at a Glance Blog!

2025 was a whirlwind year and I decided to take a step back from this blog. If you’re wondering why, I had a baby! I’m already teaching my little girl about plants and who knows, she might grow up to be a grass lady one day too! Before moving ahead with new content, I took some time to look...
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field of little bluestem

Little Bluestem, a showstopper in fall

Fall is here, and while some days feel much more fall-like than others, you can’t deny that trees are putting on their fall colors, herbaceous plants are fading away, asters are blooming, and many warm-season grasses are in their prime. One of my favorite grasses to appreciate in the fall is...
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clumps of fountain grass in bloom in a landscape bed with a bridge in the background

Remove and replace Fountain Grasses

Several years ago on a hike in mid-November, I came across an unfamiliar grass. It was still green, with an intact seed head. The alarm bells started ringing in my head, like they do whenever I see green plants late into fall or very early in spring – was this grass native or non-native? Many...
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