Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Crested wheatgrass is a naturalized perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, southern Coast Ranges, southwestern California, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert in disturbed areas and degraded agricultural sites at elevations of 600 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from June to August, this grass produces pale green to straw-colored flower spikes that spread at wide angles between 30 to 95 degrees. Growing with generally erect stems 30 to 50 centimeters tall, it occasionally develops rhizomes and forms dense clumps. Its narrow leaves are 3 to 12 centimeters long, 1.5 to 6 millimeters wide, and can be smooth or slightly hairy. The plant's distinctive flower spikes feature spikelets 7 to 16 millimeters long with short awns emerging from the tips of the florets.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, degraded agricultural sites

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 600-1500 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRF, n SNH, s SCoRO, SW, GB, DMoj

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Lassen, Modoc, Sierra, Inyo, San Diego, Kern, Mono, Santa Barbara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.