Orchard Grass, Dactylis glomerata, is a non-native cool season grass that grows in old fields, pastures, and disturbed areas. When identifying this grass, look for the open leaf sheath, as well as the tall membranous ligule. This ligule can range from white to yellow in color and what...

Nimblewill, Muhlenbergia schreberi, is a native, warm season grass typically found in slightly shaded, disturbed habitats and even in your lawn. This short grass typically stays under one foot tall, but it tends to sprawl over the ground and re-root from nodes along the stem. It has short leaves...

Johnson Grass, Sorghum halepense, is an invasive, warm season grass. It can be found in disturbed habitats in central and southern Illinois, and it can often be found in large patches since it spreads through rhizomes. This grass can grow four to seven feet tall. It has thick, glaucous stems,...

Japanese Stiltgrass, Microstegium vimineum, is an invasive, warm season annual grass. It can be found in shady, moist environments like the understory of forests and along waterways, but it can also establish in sunnier and drier areas. It is a weak-stemmed grass with short, broad...

Indian Grass, Sorghastrum nutans, is a native, warm season grass of the tallgrass prairie. It is a robust bunchgrass that can grow between four and seven feet tall. Its stems are blue-green in color which can make it stand out from the surrounding foliage, and the leaves are over a foot...

Giant Foxtail, Setaria faberi, is a non-native summer annual that can be found in every county in Illinois. It grows in disturbed habitats and it will grow between two and four feet tall. Its leaves are broad and it has a ligule made up of long white hairs. Giant Foxtail blooms in the...

Giant Cane, Arundinaria gigantea, is the only native woody grass found in Illinois. It was once widespread in canebreaks in southern Illinois, but has since declined in abundance due to habitat alteration. Giant Cane can often be found in colonies, since it spreads through rhizomes. The easiest...

Gama Grass, Tripsacum dactyloides, is a native, warm season grass mostly found in the southern half of Illinois. It is a robust bunchgrass that grows in moist prairies, and this grass produces large bunches with flowering stalks that can grow up to seven feet tall. The leaves of...

Fowl Manna Grass, Glyceria striata, is a native, cool season grass found in every county in Illinois in forests and wetlands. It grows two to three feet tall and its smooth stems have just a few leaves along them. You can also find a tall, white membranous ligule in the collar region....

Cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum, is a non-native winter or spring annual. It grows between one and three feet tall in disturbed, low-quality habitats. The leaf blades are covered with long, soft hairs.

When identifying this grass, look for its tall membranous ligule. The inflorescence is a...