Poa kelloggii
Kellogg's blue grass, redwood blue grass
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Poa kelloggii (Kellogg's blue grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by habitat specificity and distinctive drooping inflorescence.
Kellogg's blue grass is a California native perennial found in northern coastal and northern central coastal bioregions in shady mossy openings within mixed-conifer and redwood forests at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this grass produces delicate pale green to greenish-white flower clusters in open, triangular-shaped inflorescences. Growing 25 to 85 centimeters tall with long underground rhizomes, it forms soft, flat leaf blades 2 to 5 millimeters wide. Its leaves have distinctive open sheaths and small ligules 1 to 4 millimeters long, which are finely rough-textured and truncate to slightly rounded at the tip. The plant's spikelets are notably concentrated in the top third of the branching flower cluster, with branches that droop when bearing fruit.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 26 sympatric species; distinguished by habitat specificity and distinctive drooping inflorescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shady mossy openings in mixed-conifer and redwood forest
Elevation: < 500 m
Bloom period
Poa kelloggii blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Festuca: Poa has boat-shaped, keeled leaf tips; Festuca leaves are flat or rolled but never keeled like a ship's prow.; vs Melica: Poa has fine, narrow leaves with boat-shaped tips; Melica has wider, flat leaves without the distinctive keel.; vs Nassella: Poa leaves have boat-shaped tips you can feel; Nassella leaves roll inward and lack the keel.; vs Koeleria: Poa has cobwebby hairs at seed base and keeled leaf tips; Koeleria lacks both features.; vs Holcus: Poa has boat-shaped leaf tips; Holcus leaves are flat and soft-hairy without any keel.
Frequently asked questions
Is Poa kelloggii native to California?
Yes. Poa kelloggii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa kelloggii bloom?
Poa kelloggii blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Poa kelloggii belong to?
Poa kelloggii is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa kelloggii grow in?
Poa kelloggii grows in Shady mossy openings in mixed-conifer and redwood forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.