Elymus spicatus
Blue bunch wheat grass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Elymus spicatus (Blue bunch wheat grass) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by combination of single spikelets, well-developed auricles, and divergent awns.
Blue bunch wheat grass is a native perennial grass found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in sagebrush steppe and open woodland at elevations of 670 to 2,190 meters. Flowering from June to August, this grass produces delicate spikes with slender green or bluish-green stems forming dense, clustered tufts. Growing 30 to 100 centimeters tall with well-developed grass auricles, it forms distinctive bunched or sometimes slightly spreading clumps. Its narrow leaves are 2 to 6 millimeters wide, ranging from flat to loosely rolled, with extremely short ligules less than half a millimeter long. The grass produces elongated narrow inflorescences 8 to 16 centimeters long, with spikelets bearing 4 to 9 individual florets and potential awns up to 25 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 20 sympatric species; combination of single spikelets, well-developed auricles, and divergent awns
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sagebrush steppe, open woodland
Elevation: 670-2190 m
California counties: Lassen, Modoc, Alpine, Mariposa, Siskiyou, Trinity, Riverside, Shasta
Outside California: to southern Canada, Rocky Mountains
Bloom period
Elymus spicatus blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Hordeum: Elymus has rounded glume backs; Hordeum has all glumes narrow and bristle-like.; vs Leymus: Elymus has 2-8 spikelets per node; Leymus has just 1-2 spikelets per node.; vs Taeniatherum: Elymus is perennial with robust growth; Taeniatherum is a weedy annual with very long awns.; vs Lolium: Elymus shows multiple spikelets per node; Lolium has single spikelets edgewise to the stem.; vs Thinopyrum: Elymus has prominent auricles; Thinopyrum typically lacks auricles or has very small ones.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elymus spicatus native to California?
Yes. Elymus spicatus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Elymus spicatus bloom?
Elymus spicatus blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Elymus spicatus grow?
Elymus spicatus occurs in Lassen, Modoc, Alpine, Mariposa, Siskiyou, Trinity, Riverside, Shasta, at elevations of 670-2190 m.
What plant family does Elymus spicatus belong to?
Elymus spicatus is in the Poaceae family, genus Elymus.
What habitat does Elymus spicatus grow in?
Elymus spicatus grows in Sagebrush steppe, open woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.