Poa pringlei
Pringle's blue grass
(c) Ryan Sorrells, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Poa pringlei (Pringle's blue grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by dioecious habit and hairy leaf surfaces.
Pringle's blue grass is a native perennial grass found in the Klamath Ranges, northern High Cascades, and northern Sierra Nevada in open places, especially snowbeds at elevations of 2,000 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this grass produces delicate inflorescences 1 to 6 centimeters long in a dense, lanceolate arrangement. Growing as a densely tufted plant 5 to 35 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters with steeply ascending stems. Its narrow leaves are 1.5 to 3 millimeters wide, firm and folded, with upper surfaces finely hairy and transparent ligules 1 to 6 millimeters long. The plant is dioecious, with pistillate flowers found in the northern Sierra Nevada and varying reproductive structures across its range.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 32 sympatric species; distinguished by dioecious habit and hairy leaf surfaces
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open places, especially snowbeds
Elevation: 2000-3000 m
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Siskiyou, Butte, Trinity, Nevada, Shasta, Tehama, Plumas, Alpine, Tuolumne, Humboldt, Mariposa, Kern, El Dorado, Placer
Outside California: to southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Poa pringlei blooms Jun-Aug.
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 pringlei native to California?
Yes. Poa pringlei is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa pringlei bloom?
Poa pringlei blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Poa pringlei grow?
Poa pringlei occurs in Mono, Inyo, Siskiyou, Butte, Trinity, Nevada, Shasta, Tehama and other counties, at elevations of 2000-3000 m.
What plant family does Poa pringlei belong to?
Poa pringlei is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa pringlei grow in?
Poa pringlei grows in Open places, especially snowbeds.
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.