Holcus mollis

Creeping velvet grass

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Creeping velvet grass is a naturalized perennial found in northern California Coast Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, and San Francisco Bay Area in moist sites at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from June to August, this grass produces tan flowers with purple-tinged glumes 4 to 5 millimeters long. Growing with ascending to decumbent stems 30 to 80 centimeters tall, it forms dense spreading patches. Its leaves are 3 to 15 centimeters long with 4 to 9 millimeter wide blades and distinctive jagged, obtuse ligules 2 to 5 millimeters in length. The plant spreads readily in disturbed moist habitats, creating soft, velvety ground cover.

Habitat: Moist sites

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: < 700 m

Bioregions: NCo, n SNH, SnFrB

California counties: Yuba, Nevada, Humboldt, Marin, Del Norte, San Mateo, Yolo, Alameda, Stanislaus, Sonoma, Contra Costa

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