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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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Phleum alpinum

Phleum alpinum L.

Alpine Timothy, Mountain Timothy

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Synonym(s): Phleum alpinum var. commutatum, Phleum commutatum, Phleum commutatum var. americanum

USDA Symbol: PHAL2

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

Mountain Timothy or Alpine Timothy, a perennial, is a distinctive grass with bright-green, bunched leaves and flowering culms to 20 in. tall. The tight clusters of spikelets form a rounded spike with an overall dark-purple color.

 

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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 20 inches tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AK , AZ , CA , CO , ID , ME , MI , MT , NH , NM , NV , OR , SD , UT , WA , WY
Canada: NB , NS
Native Distribution: Greenland to AK, s. in the mts. of ME & NH, n. MI, Black Hills & in the western mts.
Native Habitat: Mountain meadows; wet areas; bogs

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Moist to wet soils.

Propagation

Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FACU FAC FAC FACW FAC
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Web Reference

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

Additional resources

USDA: Find Phleum alpinum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Phleum alpinum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Phleum alpinum

Metadata

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

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