Canada Wild Rye

Elymus canadensis

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  • Common name
    Canada Wild Rye
  • Latin name
    Elymus canadensis
  • Plant type
    perennial
  • Flower color
    Bristly, heavy greenish-gold flower spikes. As the season turns to autumn, the entire plant and its nodding heads fade to a handsome, bronzy, sandy tan
  • Bloom time
    Mid to late summer
  • Height
    24-60"
  • Chelsea chop
    Yes
  • Light requirements
    Full sun to partial shade. It tolerates a half-day of shade much better than many other prairie grasses
  • Moisture
    Highly versatile, growing in dry, medium, or moist soils. It tolerates both extreme drought and occasional high water levels near shorelines
  • Native to Ontario
    Yes
  • Locally native
    Yes
  • Deer resistant
    Yes
  • Ecological benefit
    The foliage serves as a larval host for several regional butterfly and moth species, including the Northern Pearly Eyebutterfly. It possesses a highly fibrous root system that makes it a superstar for erosion control. The large, nutrient-rich seed spikes are a primary food source for native songbirds, small mammals, and declining prairie species like the Bobolink. Because it is a cool-season grass, it greens up very early in the spring long before other native grasses wake up. This provides vital early cover for ground-nesting birds.
  • Picture
    Canada Wild Rye