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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Leymus mollis ssp. mollis

Leymus mollis (Trin.) Pilg. ssp. mollis

American Dunegrass, American Dune Grass, Beach Wild Rye

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Synonym(s): Elymus arenarius ssp. mollis, Elymus arenarius var. scabrinervis, Elymus arenarius var. villosus, Elymus capitatus, Elymus mollis, Leymus arenarius ssp. mollis

USDA Symbol: LEMOM2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N), GL (N), SPM (N)

A stout-stemmed grass, 2-5+ ft. tall, from creeping rhizomes. Basal leaves are numerous and overlapping and, in many forms, are a bright, glaucous blue. The flower spike is erect, dense, soft and pale.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to about 5-1/2 feet tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AK , CA , IL , MA , ME , MI , NH , OR , PA , WA
Canada: NB , PE
Native Distribution: Coasts from AK to Greenland, s. to MA & c. CA; also Lake Superior
Native Habitat: Coastal sand dunes

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Sands.
Conditions Comments: The creeping rhizomes can be invasive in loose sands. European dune grass, Elymus arenarius L., is very similar. Many authorities now consider them as belonging to the same species, E. arenarius.

Propagation

Description: Propagate by seed or rhizome divisions.
Commercially Avail: yes

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Leymus mollis ssp. mollis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Leymus mollis ssp. mollis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Leymus mollis ssp. mollis

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-01-25
Research By: TWC Staff

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