Poa secunda

Common Names

Sandberg Bluegrass, Canby Bluegrass, Nevada Bluegrass, Pine Bluegrass, Alkali Bluegrass, Big Bluegrass, Curly Bluegrass, Pacific Bluegrass, Slender Bluegrass

Summary

Sandberg bluegrass is a native cool-season perennial bunchgrass of western North America, from Alaska to Baja California and across the western United States. It grows in dry woods, open forests, grassy slopes, ridges, and rocky slopes, forming dense tufts up to about 0.3 m tall. Distinctive features include soft, pale- to dark-green leaves, a membranous ligule, and a narrow panicle that is yellowish-green to purple, with spikelets 2–5-flowered and about 4–6 mm long. Deep, extensive roots and high drought tolerance accompany resistance to grazing and trampling, contributing to early green-up and ground cover in sun to light shade.

Establishment is by direct seeding into firm weed-free seedbeds; it tolerates sun to light shade and well-drained soils from sandy to rocky. It provides good forage for cattle and fair forage for other livestock and deer, and is used in erosion control, revegetation, and native seed mixes for rehabilitation and habitat restoration. Seed production ranges around 1.98–2.04 million seeds per kilogram; germination favors fall planting with fluctuating temperatures; vegetative propagation is not effective, making seed the primary method of establishment.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

0.5-4 feet

Spread

6-12 inches

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained soils

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soils (dry, stony or sandy)

Soil pH

Alkaline (high pH) soils

Bloom Color

Yellowish-green to purple, including lavender and white

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green, frequently anthocyanic, sometimes glaucous

Fall Foliage Color

Brown

Leaf Lifecycle

Other

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

All four seasons

Propagation Methods

Seeds (including apomictic seed production) and vegetative propagation via tillering/division-like, rhizomes (in some putative hybrids), and vivipary plantlets

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies, moths, and birds