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Elymus glaucus

Blue Wild-rye

At a Glance: Tufted perennial grass usually forming small clumps, 0.5 to 1.5 m tall.

Height: 20-40 inches (0.5-1 meter).
Growth Form: Graminoid.
Leaves: Blades are hairless to densely hairy, flat or slightly inrolled, usually lax; auricles well developed, claw-like and clasping; ligules short (1mm long); size: to 0.75" (12mm) wide; color: green.
Flowering Period: May.
Fruits: Stiff narrow spikes, 2-8" long, sometimes bear awns 3/8-3/4" (1 1/4") long.


Photo © Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	Below 2500 meters. low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Mammals: Provides forage for both domestic stock and wildlife.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Name Info: Elymus is from the ancient Greek elumos, a name for some type of grain. The blue-grey color (glaucus) and the resemblance to rye (Secale cereale) are the reasons for the species and common name.
Interesting Facts: Can be confused with meadow barley (Hordeum brachyantherum).

Suggested References

Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 146.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 1254.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 638.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 364.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 363.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.