Phalaris canariensis
Canary grass, Canary Grass
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Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Phalaris canariensis (Canary grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by distinctly ovoid, compact inflorescence.
Canary grass is a naturalized annual found in coastal, northern California, Sacramento Valley, central western California, southern coastal, western Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and desert mountain regions of Inyo County in disturbed areas at elevations below 400 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces pale green to whitish flowers in dense, ovoid to oblong clusters 2 to 5 centimeters long. Growing with robust stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall, it spreads quickly in open, disturbed landscapes. Its dense, narrow leaves are typically flat and bright green, arranged alternately along the stem. The fruit is a small, slightly hairy grain approximately 3 to 4 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; key features are distinctly ovoid, compact inflorescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 400 m
California counties: Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, Kern, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Solano, Inyo, Sacramento, Riverside, Yolo, Marin, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Butte, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Alameda, Humboldt, Lake, Placer
Outside California: to central North America, native to Mediterranean Europe
Bloom period
Phalaris canariensis blooms Apr-Jul.
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 canariensis native to California?
No. Phalaris canariensis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Phalaris canariensis bloom?
Phalaris canariensis blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Phalaris canariensis grow?
Phalaris canariensis occurs in Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, Kern, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange and other counties, at elevations of < 400 m.
What plant family does Phalaris canariensis belong to?
Phalaris canariensis is in the Poaceae family, genus Phalaris.
What habitat does Phalaris canariensis grow in?
Phalaris canariensis grows in Disturbed areas.
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.