Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Your gift keeps resources like this database thriving!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Friday - July 29, 2011

From: Bristol, TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Planting, Problem Plants, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Need something to compete with Virginia wild rye in Bristol, TN.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

I have been working for 4 years to convert a large area of sunny lawn (150' x 40') to a native woodland planting, using native trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses. Although I used seeds of a variety of native grasses, my primary grass was Elymus virginicus (Virginia wild rye) which was a BIG mistake because, at least in Tennessee,it is top-heavy, very subject to windfall and turns crispy brown beginning in mid-summer. Now I have LOTS of it and am trying to correct the problem. I cut off and dispose of most of the seed heads each year before they ripen,and I am trying hard to greatly increase the area's plant diversity by planting plugs. I thought this was a short-lived grass whose dominance would gradually diminish but so far not true. What else can I do? Is there a native grass species that I could use to heavily over-seed the area that would be able to come up and compete with the Virginia wild rye?

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants is going to start by directing you to a previously answered question about native grasses in East Texas. Though East Texas is removed from Tennessee by some distance, the answer has some good information about grasses, and addresses some of the same questions that you have. 

The first bit of information is that there are cool season grasses and warm season grasses.  Warm season grasses germinate in the spring and, since they are heat and drought tolerant, are generally green throughout the spring and summer.  They  begin turning brown in the fall and remain so throughout the winter.  Cool season grasses germinate in the fall and are green and growing throughout the winter and spring, but die back in the heat of summer.  What category do you think Elymus virginicus is in? (read the answer).

Your strategy of removing the seed heads  can help eliminate the rye grass, but you must be persistent and thorough. Since the plant is a perennial, the established  stalks will not be affected by the removal, but you are eliminating a seed source for new plants. Some mechanical removal will probably also be necessary. I'm unsure of what kind of plugs you are planting.

Sowing warm season grasses to compete with the rye grass is a possible solution, and there is a list of warm season grasses in the previous answer. Clicking on the scientific name of each grass will bring up its NPIN page which contains a description of the plant, its growth characteristics and growth requirements, as well as images. On each page, scroll down to the Additional Resources box and click on the name beside USDA. The page that comes up will have a USDA Distribution Map that indicates whether or not the plant occurs naturally in Eastern Tennessee. This should help you choose a grass or two to try out. You can consult our National Suppliers Directory to find seed sources. Be aware that you can’t plant the warm season grasses until Spring.

Here are two possibilities that I like and think they are much more attractive than Elymus virginicus (Virginia wildrye).

Schizachyrium scoparium (Little bluestem)  sunny areas

Chasmanthium latifolium (Inland sea oats)  suited for shady areas

Another source of help is the Sullivan County Offices of UT Extension.

 

From the Image Gallery


Inland sea oats
Chasmanthium latifolium

Little bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium

More Problem Plants Questions

Cat eating yucca stalks in England
May 07, 2013 - Is it safe for my cat to eat yucca as she is being sick and its hard to stop her
view the full question and answer

Controlling weeds in Habiturf lawn
May 16, 2015 - What's the best way to get rid of weeds in a Habiturf lawn? Habiturf seems like a great idea, but even with no extra water and no fertilizer, it seems the weeds take over - K.R. Bluestem and various...
view the full question and answer

Male or female Jatropha curcas from Brownsville TX
August 16, 2012 - How do know the sex of a young Jatropha C. plant? how many weeks before you can tell a boy/girl plant ?
view the full question and answer

Eliminating agave roots in Tonto Basin AZ
April 22, 2009 - Greetings Mr. Smarty Plants, from Tonto Basin, AZ! We have numerous mature (huge!) Agave Americana plants here, and have, until recently, enjoyed them. However, we are now ready for a drastic landscap...
view the full question and answer

How Can I Tell an Invasive Thistle from a Native
May 01, 2012 - Mr Smarty Plants, I have some thistles coming up in my yard. I'd like to keep them if they are native, but not if they are invasive or non-native. How can I tell? My yard is a wild area in West Lak...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.