Indian ricegrass

Achnatherum hymenoides

Family:: Poaceae
Elevation:: 2,000 ft – 7,500 ft
Bloom:: May – Jul
Region:: Southwest

A delicate cool-season bunchgrass whose airy, wide-spreading flower panicles float above fine, threadlike leaves like a shimmering haze. Its plump, nutritious seeds were a staple food for Southwestern peoples and remain prized winter forage.

Care · tuned to the Southwest

Water

Extremely drought tolerant once established; needs little to no supplemental water and resents summer irrigation.

Sun & exposure

Full sun.

Soil

Demands sharp drainage; thrives in deep sandy, gravelly, or rocky soils and tolerates mild alkalinity.

In the Southwest

Cool-season grower that greens up and flowers in spring, then goes dormant and tan through the hot summer; cut back old growth in late winter and let it reseed to persist.

Common problems & fixes

Summer dormancy mistaken for death
Fix — The tan, dormant clumps are alive; leave them and expect fresh growth with cool fall and spring weather.
Rot and decline with overwatering
Fix — Withhold summer irrigation and ensure fast-draining sandy soil to prevent crown rot.

Pets & toxicity

Non-toxic to dogs and cats.

Easy to confuse with

Sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus) — coarser, with a partly sheathed seed head
Alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides) — larger tussock with a finer-seeded panicle

Sources

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