Phalaris californica
California canary grass
(c) Peter Brastow, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Peter Brastow · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Phalaris californica (California canary grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by coastal distribution and compact ovoid inflorescence.
California canary grass is a native perennial found in northwestern and central western California in coastal open fields, disturbed areas, meadows, and woodlands at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from April to June, this grass produces compact ovoid flower clusters with spikelets that have subtle purple-tipped glumes. Growing in dense clumps with stems 50 to 160 centimeters tall and distinctively swollen at the base, it forms robust grass clusters. Its stems feature spikelets with delicate hairy sterile lemmas and lanceolate fertile lemmas, creating a soft, textured appearance. The plant's compact inflorescences are 1.5 to 5 centimeters long and 1 to 3 centimeters wide, giving it a distinctive dense cluster form.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; key features are coastal distribution and compact ovoid inflorescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Coastal open fields, disturbed areas, meadows, woodland
Elevation: < 800 m
California counties: Humboldt, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Del Norte, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara, Amador
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Phalaris californica blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Phleum: Phalaris has an ovate to oblong spike-like panicle with keeled, often winged glumes; timothy is a slender cylindric spike with short-awned, stiffly ciliate-keeled glumes.; vs Alopecurus: Phalaris glumes are free and winged and the shiny fertile lemma is flanked by tiny sterile scales; foxtail has glumes joined at the base and a single awned lemma.; vs Anthoxanthum: Both are spike-like, but sweet vernalgrass smells of coumarin and has two awned sterile lemmas; Phalaris is scentless with reduced scale-like sterile florets.; vs Setaria: Phalaris spikes lack bristles entirely; bristlegrass spikelets are each subtended by persistent bristles.; vs Beckmannia: Phalaris spikelets carry prominent winged glumes; sloughgrass has small round, laterally flattened spikelets crowded on one-sided spikes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Phalaris californica native to California?
Yes. Phalaris californica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phalaris californica bloom?
Phalaris californica blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Phalaris californica grow?
Phalaris californica occurs in Humboldt, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Marin, Napa and other counties, at elevations of < 800 m.
What plant family does Phalaris californica belong to?
Phalaris californica is in the Poaceae family, genus Phalaris.
What habitat does Phalaris californica grow in?
Phalaris californica grows in Coastal open fields, disturbed areas, meadows, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.