Denver-Boulder Metro Area: Grasses, Sedges, and Allies

This guide contains grasses, sedges, and rushes that can be found in the Denver-Boulder Metro Area, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties.

redtop ¹
Agrostis gigantea

ticklegrass ²
Agrostis scabra

creeping bentgrass ³
Agrostis stolonifera

canadian bluejoint ⁴
Calamagrostis canadensis

Purple Reedgrass ⁵
Calamagrostis purpurascens

Slim-stem Small-reedgrass ⁶
Calamagrostis stricta

rabbitfoot grass ⁷
Polypogon monspeliensis

northern sweetgrass ⁸
Anthoxanthum hirtum

wild oat ⁹
Avena fatua

prairie junegrass ¹⁰
Koeleria macrantha

spike trisetum ³
Trisetum spicatum

tall oat grass ¹¹
Arrhenatherum elatius

Quaking-grass ¹²
Briza media

nuttall's alkali grass ¹³
Puccinellia nuttalliana

crested dogtail grass ¹⁴
Cynosurus cristatus

orchard grass ¹⁵
Dactylis glomerata

tufted hair grass ³
Deschampsia cespitosa

tall fescue ¹⁶
Lolium arundinaceum

meadow fescue ¹⁷
Lolium pratense

Perennial Ryegrass ¹⁸
Lolium perenne

pullout grass ¹⁹
Vulpia octoflora

Arizona Fescue ²⁰
Festuca arizonica

Shortleaf Fescue ²
Festuca brachyphylla

idaho fescue ²¹
Festuca idahoensis

Spike Fescue ¹³
Festuca kingii

sixweeks grass ²⁰
Festuca octoflora

Thurber's fescue ²²
Festuca thurberi

Rocky Mountain Fescue ²³
Festuca saximontana saximontana

reed canary grass ²⁴
Phalaris arundinacea

Variegated Ribbon Grass ²⁵
Phalaris arundinacea picta

canary grass ²⁶
Phalaris canariensis

Alpine Meadow-grass ²⁷
Poa alpina

Annual Meadow-grass ²⁸
Poa annua

Arctic Bluegrass ²
Poa arctica

Prairie Bluegrass ²⁹
Poa arida

Bulbous Meadow-grass ³⁰
Poa bulbosa

Flattened Meadow-grass ³¹
Poa compressa

muttongrass ³
Poa fendleriana

Inland Bluegrass ³²
Poa interior

Swamp Meadow-grass ³
Poa palustris

Smooth Meadow-grass ³
Poa pratensis

Pine bluegrass ³
Poa secunda

Wheeler's Bluegrass ³³
Poa wheeleri

timberline bluegrass ¹³
Poa glauca rupicola

Alpine Timothy ¹³
Phleum alpinum

Timothy ³⁴
Phleum pratense

short-awn foxtail ³
Alopecurus aequalis

Creeping Foxtail ³⁵
Alopecurus arundinaceus

meadow foxtail ³⁰
Alopecurus pratensis

American slough grass ³⁶
Beckmannia syzigachne

Edited by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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Denver-Boulder Metro Area: Grasses, Sedges, and Allies

redtop 1 Agrostis gigantea

ticklegrass 2 Agrostis scabra

creeping bentgrass 3 Agrostis stolonifera

canadian bluejoint 4 Calamagrostis canadensis

Purple Reedgrass 5 Calamagrostis purpurascens

Slim-stem Small-reedgrass 6 Calamagrostis stricta

rabbitfoot grass 7 Polypogon monspeliensis

northern sweetgrass 8 Anthoxanthum hirtum

wild oat 9 Avena fatua

prairie junegrass 10 Koeleria macrantha

spike trisetum 3 Trisetum spicatum

tall oat grass 11 Arrhenatherum elatius

Quaking-grass 12 Briza media

nuttall's alkali grass 13 Puccinellia nuttalliana

crested dogtail grass 14 Cynosurus cristatus

orchard grass 15 Dactylis glomerata

tufted hair grass 3 Deschampsia cespitosa

tall fescue 16 Lolium arundinaceum

meadow fescue 17 Lolium pratense

Perennial Ryegrass 18 Lolium perenne

pullout grass 19 Vulpia octoflora

Arizona Fescue 20 Festuca arizonica

Shortleaf Fescue 2 Festuca brachyphylla

idaho fescue 21 Festuca idahoensis

Spike Fescue 13 Festuca kingii

sixweeks grass 20 Festuca octoflora

Thurber's fescue 22 Festuca thurberi

Rocky Mountain Fescue 23 Festuca saximontana saximontana

reed canary grass 24 Phalaris arundinacea

Variegated Ribbon Grass 25 Phalaris arundinacea picta

canary grass 26 Phalaris canariensis

Alpine Meadow-grass 27 Poa alpina

Annual Meadow-grass 28 Poa annua

Arctic Bluegrass 2 Poa arctica

Prairie Bluegrass 29 Poa arida

Bulbous Meadow-grass 30 Poa bulbosa

Flattened Meadow-grass 31 Poa compressa

muttongrass 3 Poa fendleriana

Inland Bluegrass 32 Poa interior

Swamp Meadow-grass 3 Poa palustris

Smooth Meadow-grass 3 Poa pratensis

Pine bluegrass 3 Poa secunda

Wheeler's Bluegrass 33 Poa wheeleri

timberline bluegrass 13 Poa glauca rupicola

Alpine Timothy 13 Phleum alpinum

Timothy 34 Phleum pratense

short-awn foxtail 3 Alopecurus aequalis

Creeping Foxtail 35 Alopecurus arundinaceus

meadow foxtail 30 Alopecurus pratensis

American slough grass 36 Beckmannia syzigachne