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Grasses at a Glance

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...
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...
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...
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!...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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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.