Grass Blog

Grasses at a Glance
Grasses at a Glance
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...
hand holding flowering part of a grass
How to differentiate between native and non-native plume grasses
A few years ago I began to notice a very tall, stately grass growing on the roadsides on my daily commute. I only seemed to find it growing in...
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...
brown inflorescence of wood reed
Identifying Wood Reed, a native warm-season grass
Warm-season grasses are in full bloom right now, putting on their fall display. If you go on a hike in the woods, you might find Wood Reed, Cinna...
two clumps of grass in a pollinator garden
Role of grasses in a pollinator garden
A year ago my family moved. As a gardener, I was looking for a house with a big yard with lots of potential to plant huge gardens. We found a home...
landscape view of a wetland with cattails and bluejoint grass
Bluejoint Grass, a grass for wetter soils
About a month ago I was in the Chicago region for a conference, and I took the opportunity to stop by Volo Bog. If you’ve never been, this unique...
patch of grass with arching leaves
Beakgrass, a grass for the shade garden
The first time I saw Beakgrass was at the Missouri Botanic Garden in a parking median. I was struck by the attractive mass of this grass, which was...
barnyard grass in bloom with trees in the background
Identifying Barnyard Grass
As someone who learned grass identification in Midwest prairies, I don’t often focus a lot of time on grasses that grow in the woods or wetlands. But...
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Grasses at a Glance dives into grass identification, focusing on tips and tricks that make grass identification possible. Get information about native and non-native species, how to tell look-alikes apart, and which grasses you can find in Illinois. 

 

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Meet the author

Erin Garrett is a natural resources, environment, and energy educator for University of Illinois Extension serving Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski, and Union counties. Erin develops and delivers high impact programming to adults and youth to help them develop an appreciation for natural resources and to empower them to make small changes to positively impact the environment. Erin’s programming focuses on why homeowners should consider choosing native plants, how to support native pollinators, how to identify grasses, how to identify and manage invasive species, and developing an appreciation for prairie ecosystems.