Bluebunch Wheatgrass vs Panicled Bulrush - TreeTime.ca

Bluebunch Wheatgrass vs Panicled Bulrush

Pseudoroegneria spicata (Agropyron spicatum)

Scirpus microcarpus

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Bluebunch Wheatgrass
Panicled Bulrush

Bluebunch Wheatgrass is a native perennial bunchgrass common across prairies, foothills, and open woodlands. Longer-lived than many other grass species, it develops deep, fibrous roots that stabilize soils and make it drought-tolerant once established. It is a cool-season grass, growing most actively in spring and fall and slowing during the heat of summer.

This hardy grass provides excellent forage for deer, elk, and bighorn sheep, and is especially palatable to livestock. Its seeds feed birds and small mammals, while its bunching growth offers protective cover for ground-nesting birds such as sparrows and sage-grouse, as well as shelter for small mammals. Bluebunch Wheatgrass is well-suited to rangeland & prairie restoration, naturalization, and erosion control projects.

Panicled Bulrush is a native perennial sedge that thrives in saturated soils and shallow water. Spreading readily by rhizomes, it quickly forms tall clumps that make it especially valuable for riparian plantings, erosion control, ecological restoration, and naturalization projects.

Its many-branched clusters of small flower heads give the plant its name and add texture to wetland landscapes. In addition to stabilizing shorelines and improving habitat quality, Panicled Bulrush provides food and cover for waterfowl, small mammals, and other wildlife. A cool-season grower, it is most active in spring and fall, slowing or going dormant during the heat of summer.

Bluebunch Wheatgrass Quick Facts

Panicled Bulrush Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: tillering - high, seeds - medium
Spreading: rhizomes - high


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


Native to: AB, BC, SK, YT
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: red-sheathed bulrush, red-tinged bulrush, small-flowered bulrush, small-fruited bulrush