Alopecurus pratensis
Meadow foxtail
(c) Kai Löhr, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kai Löhr · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Alopecurus pratensis (Meadow foxtail) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by tallest stature and widest inflorescence.
Meadow foxtail is a naturalized perennial grass found in northern California coastal regions, northern California interior ranges, high Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada, central coastal California, southern coastal California, southwestern California, and Modoc Plateau in open, damp meadows at elevations of 20 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from May to June, this grass produces soft, cylindrical green-white flower clusters (foxtail-like spikes) 3.5 to 7.5 centimeters long. Growing with erect stems 48 to 77 centimeters tall, it spreads in dense, lush clumps with characteristic grass-like growth. Its leaf blades are narrow, measuring 2.5 to 16 centimeters long and 2 to 6 millimeters wide, with a short ligule 1.5 to 3 millimeters in length. The distinctive flower spikes feature lemmas with bent awns that extend 2 to 5.5 millimeters beyond the lemma body.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; distinguished by tallest stature and widest inflorescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, damp meadows
Elevation: 20-2400 m
California counties: San Francisco, Colusa, Humboldt, Butte, Lassen, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Modoc, Orange, El Dorado, Sierra, Shasta, Nevada, Mariposa, Marin, Lake, Sonoma, Amador, Alameda, Siskiyou, Tehama, San Benito, Napa, Mendocino, Trinity, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, San Mateo, Placer, Yolo, Plumas, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Inyo, Sacramento
Outside California: to Alaska, eastern North America, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Alopecurus pratensis blooms May-Jun.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Hordeum: Alopecurus has soft, single bristles; Hordeum has stiff, spreading bristles in groups of three.; vs Phalaris: Alopecurus has bristles from each flower; Phalaris has awnless, egg-shaped spikes.; vs Phleum: Alopecurus has a bristle from each flower; Phleum is awnless with a smoother cylinder.; vs Plantago: Alopecurus is a grass; Plantago has broad, basal leaves and is not a grass.; vs Cenchrus: Alopecurus has a fuzzy cylinder; Cenchrus has spiny burs enclosing seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alopecurus pratensis native to California?
No. Alopecurus pratensis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Alopecurus pratensis bloom?
Alopecurus pratensis blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Alopecurus pratensis grow?
Alopecurus pratensis occurs in San Francisco, Colusa, Humboldt, Butte, Lassen, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and other counties, at elevations of 20-2400 m.
What plant family does Alopecurus pratensis belong to?
Alopecurus pratensis is in the Poaceae family, genus Alopecurus.
Is Alopecurus pratensis invasive in California?
Alopecurus pratensis is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Alopecurus saccatus — Pacific foxtail
- Alopecurus sp. — Foxtail
- Alopecurus aequalis — Short-awn foxtail
- Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis — Shortawn foxtail
- Alopecurus aequalis var. sonomensis — Sonoma alopecurus
- Alopecurus carolinianus — Carolina foxtail
- Ammophila arenaria — European beachgrass
- Ammophila sp. — Beachgrass
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.