Native Plants

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Vulpia elliotea

Vulpia elliotea (Raf.) Fernald

Squirreltail Fescue

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Synonym(s): Festuca sciurea, Vulpia sciurea

USDA Symbol: VUEL

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

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Plant Characteristics

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

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Green
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , DE , FL , GA , IA , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , OK , SC , TX , VA

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 178 - Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025) North Carolina Botanical Garden; Chapel Hill, NC.

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2026-07-17
Research By: TWC Staff

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