Bluejoint vs Alpine Bluegrass - TreeTime.ca

Bluejoint vs Alpine Bluegrass

Calamagrostis canadensis

Poa alpina

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Bluejoint
Alpine Bluegrass

Bluejoint is a native perennial grass that forms tall, dense colonies. It is one of the most abundant grasses found in Canada and the United States. The extensive shallow root system and spreading rhizomes help stabilise soils, especially in wet meadows, marshes, and along streambanks.
It is a cool-season grass, growing most actively in spring and fall and slowing during the heat of summer. Seeds from its purple-tinged spikes feed birds and small mammals, and the plant itself provides forage for wildlife and livestock, though it does not tolerate heavy grazing. Its tall, dense growth also offers nesting habitat for wetland birds. With these combined values, Bluejoint is well-suited for naturalisation, riparian plantings, and habitat restoration projects.

Alpine Bluegrass is a native perennial bunchgrass adapted to cold, high-altitude, and northern environments. It establishes well in harsh mountain and tundra conditions, thriving even in nutrient-poor soils. Its dense tufts provide reliable ground cover in alpine and subalpine habitats.

Hardy and low-maintenance, Alpine Bluegrass is valued in revegetation and erosion control projects due to its strong root system. It provides forage for wildlife and livestock, while its dense growth also offers cover for small animals. Well-suited for reclamation and soil stabilization in high-elevation and northern regions, Alpine Bluegrass is a key species for strengthening fragile landscapes, though it is also found in lower-elevation sites.

Bluejoint Quick Facts

Alpine Bluegrass Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Growth form: clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - high, seeds - high
Spreading: seeds - medium


Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NL, YT, NT, NU
Other Names: bluejoint grass, bluejoint reedgrass, canada blue joint, canada reedgrass, marsh reedgrass
Other Names: alpine speargrass, mountain speargrass