Grass Blog

Grasses at a Glance
Grasses at a Glance
Green lawn grass with fallen leaves
What color is your lawn this fall?
As the days shorten and winter approaches, nature has taken on a bleaker appearance. Deciduous trees have lost their leaves, wildflowers have gone to...
woman holding clump of soil and roots
Going underground to explore the hidden benefits of grasses
Before the first hard frost came at the end of October, I planted many native plants around our new house. I brought some of my favorite plants with...
patch of small carpetgrass in bloom
Identifying and reporting Small Carpetgrass, an invasive grass in Illinois
While identifying plants at a prairie reconstruction last month, I came across a new grass that I’ve not seen before. Unfortunately, it is an...
infestation of Japanese Stiltgrass
Be on the lookout for invasive grasses
One of the reasons plant identification is so important is to help us tell the difference between plants that contribute to a healthy ecosystem and...
close up of the flowers of Gama Grass in bloom
Taking a closer look at grass pollination
It’s difficult not to notice grasses at this time of year – all of the large warm-season grasses seem to be in bloom. Have you taken a closer look at...
group of Switchgrass in bloom
Identifying Switchgrass, a warm-season grass
If someone asked me to name the most iconic plants of the tallgrass prairie, I would start with the grasses. Who could talk about a prairie without...
Short, clumping grasses planted in a garden
Value of grasses in our managed landscapes
I am making plans to add some new garden beds in my backyard. Starting with a blank slate can be daunting, but there are certain questions I ask...
field of smooth brome with seed heads
Identifying Smooth Brome, a non-native grass
Last week I attended the North American Prairie Conference in Altoona, Iowa. Shoutout to the blog readers I met there! As is typical for me, on my...
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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.