Home
Advanced Search Map Locator
View Settings
Nurseries Carrying this Plant Add Current Plant To List Edit Current Plant
Show all Photos

About Calscape Nurseries
California Garden Planner Bay Area Garden Planner (NEW) Planting Guide
Butterflies My Plant Lists
Contact Calscape
Tap map to see plants native to location
Order by Popularity Order by Common Name Order by Scientific Name Order by # of Butterflies Hosted
Show nursery cultivars Hide nursery cultivars
Show plants not in nurseries Hide plants not in nurseries
Grid view Text view
Loading....
Thingrass
Agrostis pallens
  
About Thingrass (Agrostis pallens) 14 Nurseries Carry This Plant Agrostis pallens is a species of grass known by the common name seashore bent grass. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Montana to California, where it grows in many types of habitats. In California it is widespread except for the central valley and deserts. It is a perennial grass growing 10 to 70 centimeters in height, sometimes from a rhizome. The leaves vary in width and length but are generally not more than 5 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a narrow array of thin branches bearing small clusters of spikelets, each spikelet being just a few millimeters long.


This is a native grass that can be used as a lawn substitute. It has a deep green color, medium leaf blades, can be mowed if desired, requires half the water of non-native lawn grasses, and tolerates some foot traffic. If mowed, the look would be similar to the edge of a golf course fairway; if not mowed it will have a meadow look. This grass is becoming more available through commercial seed vendors as people look for alternatives to non-native lawn grasses.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Grass

Size
Size
0.33 - 2.3 ft tall

Form
Form
Upright, Spreading

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen, Summer Semi-Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Green

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring

Wildlife Supported
 


 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / week once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -10° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils as long as drainage is good. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Groundcovers

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Can be combined with many different plants depending on the use. In a meadow-like garden or rock garden it can be used with various annuals or herbaceous perennials. In the understory of a woodland garden it can be used with virtually any trees or large shrubs.

Maintenance
Maintenance
Can tolerate close mowing heights, making it a good lawn alternative.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1*, 2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Open meadows, grasslands, coastal strand, openings in chaparral, woodland or forest

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 8.9" - 132.2", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 4.41", Coldest Month: 18.1" - 56.4", Hottest Month: 39.0" - 80.8", Humidity: 0.01" - 27.58", Elevation: -23" - 14119"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Seashore Bent Grass, Seashore Bentgrass


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


Sign in to your Calscape Account X




Once signed in, you'll be able to access any previously saved plant lists or create new ones.

Email Address
Password

Sign In