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Native Plant Society of Texas

Prairie Wildrye

Elymus canadensis

Other common name(s):

Canada Wild Rye, Canadian Wildrye, Nodding Wildrye

Family:

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Canadian/Cimarron High Plains, Llano Estacado, Rolling Sand Plains
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Grass & Sedge

Height

2
to
4
ft.

Spread

1
to
2
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Calcareous, Dry, Limestone, Loam, Moist, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Brown, Green, Yellow

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Forage, Larval Host, Nesting Material, Seeds

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Browsers, Butterflies, Small Mammals

Maintenance

Canada wild rye establishes easily, providing quick initial cover. It is a versatile, cool-season plant, requiring little to no maintenance. A good bunchgrass for partly shady prairie plantings. Not common in plant nurseries but seeds are available commercially. WARNING: the seed husks of this species can cause severe eye injuries in dogs. Native habitat: grasslands, ravines, depressions, open woodlands, ditches, fencerows.

Description

Blooms March-June. This cool season grass has erect or arching stems. It displays heavy, whiskery, nodding seed heads in early fall that cause the stems to bend and droop. Leaves mostly 5-9 per stem, flat, 3-12(-15) mm wide, often clasping the stem. Larval host: Zabulon skipper butterfly.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Elymus brachystachys, Elymus canadensis var. brachystachys, Elymus canadensis var. hirsutus, Elymus canadensis var. robustus, Elymus crescendus, Elymus philadelphicus, Elymus philadelphicus var. hirsutus, Elymus robustus

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Direct sow seeds into prepared soil in late fall once soil temps are below 50 degrees (usually mid to late November). Can also be planted in winter during natural freeze/thaw cycles and early spring. Plant shallow, no deeper than 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep and lightly rake to work seed in. Plant in full sun to partial shade. Can take 3 growing seasons to fully establish. https://www.opnseed.com/products/elymus-canadensis-nodding-wild-rye#:~:text=Direct%20sow%20seeds%20into%20prepared,growing%20seasons%20to%20fully%20establish.
Seed Stratification Seeds benefit from cold stratification. It is best to plant in the fall to allow seeds to naturally stratify under the snow. Spring-planted seeds can be cold-and-moist stratified for 60 days in a refrigerator. Soil contact is important when sowing seeds, so avoid planting over heavy litter. Raking seed into the soil produces better results, but seeds will also grow if spread on the soil surface. https://bwsr.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2023-02/Featured%20Plant%20March%202023%20Canada%20wildrye%20II%20Accessible.pdf

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason