A Wandering Botanist Plant StoryNeedleandThread Grass, Graceful


Hesperostipa "Needles and ThreadGrass" Sarastro Stauden

There are four Natural Subregions within the Grassland Natural Region, each distinguished by differences in climate, soils and vegetation: Dry Mixedgrass, Mixedgrass, Northern Fescue, and Foothills Fescue. Open The Grassland Natural Region Map as PDF Click on the coloured areas of the map to learn more… Foothills Parkland Central Parkland


NeedleandThread Grass Forage UPick

Hesperostipa comata, commonly known as needle-and-thread grass, is a species of grass native to and widely distributed throughout North America. This plant grows to 25 inches tall. It is a bunchgrass, meaning it grows in clumps.


Needle and Thread grass Photograph by Bob Corson Fine Art America

Needle-and-thread Grass. Needle-and-thread grass ( Stipa comata) or speargrass, is the tallest of the three, its culms (stalks) reaching from one to three feet above ground, though its leaves are only four to 12 inches high. Its roots may extend more than 50 inches into the earth. The genus name, Stipa ( sty -pa) comes from a Greek word meaning.


Hesperostipa comata (Needleandthread Grass) Minnesota Wildflowers

Common Name: Needle-and-Thread Grass Scientific Name: Stipa comata Family: Grass Family (Poaceae) Distribution: Widely distributed in western and central North America. The awns are the "threads" of needle-and-thread, while the slender, sharp-pointed brown one- seeded fruits are the "needles". These may be hand-stripped from the plants once.


Needleandthread Grass from Gallatin County, MT, USA on June 23, 2022

The story of the western range written as a chapter in the history of the land areas in the United States would be a dark and tragic tale. Known at first chiefly as a wide and desolate obstacle to the gold fields, the "Great American Des- ert" became suddenly the source of other great wealth-livestock.


Hesperostipa comata (Needleandthread Grass) Minnesota Wildflowers

Hesperostipa comata, commonly known as needle-and-thread grass, is a species of grass native to North America, especially the western third. It has a wide distribution spanning from northern Canada to Mexico. Sources and Credits


A Wandering Botanist Plant StoryNeedleandThread Grass, Graceful

Needle and thread is a native, cool-season, perennial bunch grass. It ranges in height from 1 to 4 feet. It has narrow basal leaves with the blade usually rolled inward, 3 to 12 inches long.


Needle and thread grass Hesperostipa comata CAJC in the PNW Flickr

General Description Needle-and-thread grass is a native bunchgrass commonly identified by its long, twisted and curly seed awns. Leaves are narrow and 5-30 cm long - although shorter basal growth is common. Needle-and-thread grass is found throughout the prairies in many native plant communities. Type Native grass. Origin Mixed grass prairie.


needleandthread grass Okanagan Okanogan

Needle-and-thread Grass is a common grass of the Great Plains and reaches the eastern edge of its native range in Minnesota; it's considered introduced farther east.


Hesperostipa comata (Needleandthread Grass) Minnesota Wildflowers

Description This perennial bunchgrass is similar to needle-and-thread grass, but it has longer, wider, paler leaves. It can reach over a metre in height. The roots are known to reach 1.8 metres (5.9 feet) deep into the soil. The inflorescence is a panicle of spikelets.


A Wandering Botanist Plant StoryNeedleandThread Grass, Graceful

Hesperostipa comata, commonly known as needle-and-thread grass, is a species of grass native to North America, especially the western third. It has a wide distribution spanning from northern Canada to Mexico.. The seeds of this grass have hygroscopic extensions that bend with changes in humidity, enabling them to disperse over the ground.


A Plant a Day Needle and Thread GrassHesperostipa comata

Needle-and-thread grass is good forage during the spring before seeds develop and again during the fall after seeds have dropped, especially after fall rains. It is choice feed for deer during the spring, and elk in the winter, providing a good source of energy. It cures well to provide fall and winter forage for livestock.


Needle and thread grass in flower closeup Hesperostipa com… Flickr

Very common across the prairies, this grass grows in small dense tufts 30-60 cm tall. Its flowers form in a cluster, called a panicle, 10-20 cm long. The seeds have a sharp end (the needle), and are attached to an awl, or bristle, which is 10-15 cm long (the thread) that twists and curls.


Needle and thread grass in flower closeup Hesperostipa com… Flickr

What is Needlegrass? Needlegrass grows early in the season and retains greenery well into the cool period. It is a long lived perennial much prized to prevent erosion. It is also used to reestablish depleted green spaces. The grass provides cover for many animals and is high in protein when ingested early in the season.


Needleandthread grass CBWNPS Native Plant Sale

Poaceae Barnhart - Grass family P: Genus: Hesperostipa (Elias) Barkworth - needle and thread P: Species: Hesperostipa comata (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth - needle and thread P: Subspecies: Hesperostipa comata (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth ssp. comata - needle and thread P


Stipa comata, Needle and thread grass

The herb layer is dominated by needle-and-thread grass (Hesperostipa comata), with brittle prickly-pear cactus (Opuntia fragilis), red three-awn (Aristida purpurea var. longiseta), and sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus). The moss layer may contain a low percent cover of Tortula ruralis. This community at climax is expected to have a moderate