Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands
Wildrye, Russian
Tł’oolétsohndtł’izí
Russian wildrye is an introduced, long-lived, perennial bunchgrass. It has an abundance of long, dense, basal leaves that are from 6 to 18 inches long and up to 1¼ inch in width. Plants vary from light to dark green, with many shades of blue-green. The erect, leafless reproductive stems are about 30 to 40 inches tall.
The seedhead is a short, dense, erect spike with two or more short-awned spikelets clustered at axis joints. The seed shatters readily at maturity. The seed is about the same size as crested wheatgrass seed. The roots are fibrous and may establish to a depth of 6 to 8 feet. However, about 75% of the roots are in the surface 6 to 24 inches.
Russian wildrye roots have an extended horizontal spread and may draw heavily on soil moisture for a distance of up to 4 or 5 feet. Its long season of growth and its vigorous soil-feeding habit make this species an excellent competitor with weeds once the grass is well established.
Copyright 2018 New Mexico State University. Individual photographers retain all rights to their images. Partially funded by the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (westernsare.org; 435.797.2257), project EW15-023. Programs and projects supported by Western SARE are equally open to all people. NMSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action educator and employer..
NMSU does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, retaliation, serious medical condition, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, spousal affiliation or protected veteran status in its programs and activities as required by equal opportunity/affirmative action regulations and laws and university policy and rules. For more information please read the NMSU Notice of Non-discrimination (opens in new window).