Leymus cinereus

Common Names

Basin Wildrye, Great Basin Wild rye, Great Basin Wildrye, Giant Wildrye, Great Basin Lyme Grass

Summary

Basin wildrye is a tall, robust perennial bunchgrass native to western North America, forming large dense clumps 1.5–3 m tall with deep fibrous roots and short rhizomes; leaves are bluish-green to grayish, and the inflorescence consists of erect, unbranched cylindrical spikes up to 25 cm long with 2–7 spikelets per node, flowering tan to straw-colored from June to August. It grows in sagebrush-steppe and open woodlands along streams, ravines, and slopes, tolerates drought and alkaline or moderately saline soils, and produces a substantial root system that supports soil stabilization and erosion control.

In cultivation, it prefers full sun and deep, well-drained sandy to loamy soils, tolerates a range of moisture conditions with elevations from 600 to 3,000 m and annual precipitation around 200–500 mm; propagation is by seed (mid-spring sowing, barely cover) or division, and its cultivars Magnar and Trailhead have been developed for restoration and drought tolerance. Uses include erosion control, soil stabilization, wildlife habitat, and forage for cattle and wildlife; edible seeds can be cooked or ground into flour.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-7 feet

Spread

2-4 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun, partial shade.

Soil Type

Deep, well-drained soils, sandy to loamy, gravelly to sandy, with neutral to slightly alkaline pH

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Yellow to tan/straw-colored

Bloom Time

Summer — early to midsummer.

Foliage Color

Bright green

Fall Foliage Color

Tan

Leaf Lifecycle

Other

Growth Rate

Fast growth with rapid establishment and a rapid growth phase from spring to fall, but slow spread

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds