Calamagrostis canadensis var. canadensis

Bluejoint reed grass

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Bluejoint reed grass is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range Highlands, and Sierra Nevada Highlands in moist meadows, thickets, peatlands, and open woodlands at elevations of 1,500 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from July to September, this grass produces delicate pale green to silvery-white flower clusters in slender, narrow spikes about 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters long. Growing with robust, upright stems 50 to 150 centimeters tall, it forms dense clumps with slender, arching leaves. Its leaves are flat, narrow, and bright green, typically 10 to 30 centimeters long with smooth margins that create a soft, graceful appearance. The flower clusters have smooth or slightly rough glumes with acute tips, giving the grass a fine, elegant texture in mountain meadow landscapes.

Habitat: Moist meadows, thickets, peatland, open woodland

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 1500-3400 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRH, SNH

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