Bulbous Bluegrass

Common Name
Bulbous Bluegrass
Scientific Name
Poa bulbosa
Plant Family
Plant Origin
Duration
Plant Type

Form: Bright, light-green appearance, easily identified by its dark purple bulbils

Height: Up to 2 feet

Flower: Does not reproduce from seeds, but from bulbs in the ground that multiply by sending new bulbs out laterally, or from bulbils (fleshy, detachable buds that are pear-shaped and approximately 1 cm long) that are produced in the flowers. These fall to the ground, root, and grow.

Stems: Erect

Leaves: Narrow, hairless, flat or loosely rolled, with "boat-shaped" leaf tips

Roots: Limited root system; grows new roots each season

Ecology: Growing in large patches across the landscape, and drying out early like cheatgrass. Often first invading species on shallow soils that are moist only during the winter and early spring. Drought tolerant. Bulbils are high in starch and fat so they are attractive to rodents and birds.

Weed control: Invasive species that reduces diversity and other organisms that depend on diversity. Invasive, but not aggressive, it can be eradicated by establishing a competitive perennial grass.