Velvet Grass, Holcus lanatus, is a non-native cool season grass found in scattered counties in Illinois in moist, disturbed habitats. This grass grows 3-4 feet tall. The defining trait of this grass is its hairiness – velvetgrass is densely covered in short white velvety hairs, giving it a gray-green, almost silvery appearance. The leaf blades, sheaths, stems, and nodes are all covered with these hairs. Velvet grass has a membranous ligule.
Velvet grass produces a panicle inflorescence. It has numerous branches that are packed full of spikelets. The spikelets are silvery green to light pink and have pointed tips.
Need a refresher on grass identification terms, like ligule and spikelet? Check out this blog post!
Velvet Grass, Holcus lanatus, is a non-native cool season grass found in scattered counties in Illinois in moist, disturbed habitats. This grass grows three to four feet tall and its defining trait is its hairiness. Velvet Grass is densely covered in short, white, velvety hairs, giving...