Pl an t Gu i d e
production and will make nutritious feed, BLUEBUNCH but is better suited to grazing use. WHEATGRASS Bluebunch wheatgrass is palatable to all Pseudoroegneria spicata classes of livestock and wildlife. It is (Pursh) A. Löve preferred forage for cattle and horses year- plant symbol = PSSP6 or PSSPS round, but it is considered coarse in summer.
Contributed By: USDA, NRCS, It is preferred forage for sheep, elk, deer, Idaho Plant Materials Program and antelope in spring. It is considered desired forage for elk in summer. It is desirable forage for sheep in summer, desirable feed for sheep, elk, deer, and antelope in fall and desirable forage for sheep, elk, and deer in winter (Ogle and Brazee 2009). In spring, the protein levels can be as high as 20 percent decreasing to about 4 percent protein as the forage matures and cures. Digestible carbohydrates remain about 45 percent throughout the active growth period.
Erosion control/reclamation: Bluebunch wheatgrass is very drought resistant, persistent and adapted to stabilization of disturbed soils. It is very compatible with slower developing native species, such as thickspike wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus), western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), and needlegrass species (Achnatherum spp., Nassella spp., and Hesperostipa spp.). It does not compete well with aggressive introduced grasses. Its drought tolerance, combined with extensive root systems and Loren St. John; USDA-NRCS, Aberdeen PMC good seedling vigor, make this species ideal
for reclamation in areas receiving 10 to 20 Alternate Names Agropyron spicatum, Elytrigia spicata inches annual precipitation. 'Secar' and ‘Discovery’ compete well in areas as low as 8 inches annual rainfall. They can be used Uses Grazing/rangeland/wildlife: Bluebunch in urban and low water use areas to stabilize wheatgrass can be used for native hay ditchbanks, dikes, and roadsides.
Status Distribution Consult the PLANTS Web site and your Bluebunch wheatgrass is common to the State Department of Natural Resources for northern Great Plains, Northern Rocky this plant’s current status. Mountains and the Intermountain regions of the western United States. It is a long-lived Description cool-season native grass with an extensive General: Grass Family (Poaceae). root system with strong tillers. Bluebunch Bluebunch wheatgrass is a perennial native wheatgrass spreads by seed; in high rainfall bunchgrass. Bluebunch wheatgrass is highly zones it may spread by short rhizomes variable and grows to 1.5 to 4 feet (0.4 to (Anderton and Barkworth 2009). For current 1.2 m) tall with seed spikes 3 to 8 inches (76 distribution, consult the Plant Profile page to 200 mm) long. The auricles are pointed for this species on the PLANTS Web site. and semi-clasping to nearly lacking. Leaves are lax, cauline, flat to in-rolled, 0.6 to 0.25 Adaptation inches (4 to 6 mm) wide, and green to blue Bluebunch wheatgrass does best on medium in color. The sheath is generally glabrous. to coarse-textured soils, but can be found on Reproductive stems are erect, slender, and heavy to medium to coarse-textured soils sometimes wiry with a wavy rachis. The over 10 inches deep including fairly sandy lemma awns range from being short to sites. It can be found on thin, rocky sites prominent and divergent except on the and on very steep slopes. It will tolerate beardless type where the awn is lacking weakly saline conditions. It does not grow (Hitchcock 1950). on highly acidic sites. It is cold tolerant, moderately shade tolerant, and highly fire tolerant (USDA Forest Service 1996). It is not tolerant of high water tables, poor drainage, and periods of extended inundation.
On native sites, bluebunch wheatgrass is most abundant in the 10 to 20 inch annual precipitation zones. Most commercially available varieties do best with 12 to 20 inches of precipitation (exception 'Secar' and ‘Discovery’ 8 to 18 inches and Anatone 10 to 20 inches - estimated) and will tolerate up to 35 inches on very well drained soils with southerly aspects. The elevation range is from 500 to 10,000 feet above sea level. It is a major component of many native plant communities and generally occupies 20 to 60 percent of the overall composition by weight.
Species often associated with bluebunch Jeanne R. Janish wheatgrass include: the big sagebrush © The New York Botanical Garden complex, juniper, ponderosa pine,
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needlegrasses, bluegrass complex, regrowth if moisture is available. Seedling bottlebrush squirreltail, prairie junegrass, vigor is fair to good. thickspike wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, arrowleaf balsamroot and tapertip Stands may require weed control measures hawksbeard. during establishment. Application of 2,4-D should not be made until plants have Establishment reached the four to six-leaf stage. Mow Planting: This species should be seeded with weeds at or prior to their bloom stage. a drill at a depth of 1/2 inch or less on Grasshoppers and other insects may also medium-textured soils, 1/4 inch on fine- damage new stands and pesticides may be textured soils and 3/4 inch or less on coarse- needed. textured soils. The single-species seeding rate recommended for this grass is 8 pounds Management Pure Live Seed (PLS) per acre or 24 PLS Bluebunch wheatgrass has good palatability per square foot. If used as a component of a to livestock and wildlife. Established stands mix, adjust to percent of mix desired. When do not tolerate heavy continuous grazing. broadcast seeding and for mine lands and other harsh critical areas, the seeding rate Stands of bluebunch wheatgrass should not should be 150 to 200 percent of the drill rate be grazed until they are firmly established or 36 to 48 PLS seeds per square foot. (usually two growing seasons) and have Seedlings are weaker than most introduced headed out. Six inches of new growth wheatgrasses and a clean, firm, weed-free should be attained in spring before grazing seedbed is required for establishment is allowed in established stands. The (cheatgrass, medusahead, ventenata and growing point of bluebunch wheatgrass is other annual weed competition can cause fairly high and stands can easily be stand failure). overgrazed. It is recommended that this grass be grazed under a rest or deferred The best seeding results are obtained from rotation grazing system to ensure plants seeding in very early spring on heavy to remain healthy. Spring grazing should medium-textured soils and in late fall on occur no more than one out of three years medium to light-textured soils. Late and no more than 40 percent utilization summer (August - mid September) seeding should occur during rapid growth. Heavy is not recommended unless irrigation is early spring grazing is especially damaging available. and grazing should be delayed until at least mid-boot stage. No more than 60 percent Bluebunch wheatgrass establishes fairly utilization should occur after seed ripens. quickly for a native grass and stands should be given 2-3 years to ensure establishment. Once established, bluebunch wheatgrass is It is compatible with other native species competitive with weedy species, but it can and should be used in seeding mixtures. It be crowded out by aggressive introduced should not be seeded with strongly species. competitive introduced species. Environmental Concerns: Bluebunch Bluebunch wheatgrass makes good spring wheatgrass is long-lived and spreads via growth, fair summer growth, and good fall seed. It can slowly spread vegetatively in precipitation zones above 18 inches annual
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rainfall. It is not considered a "weedy" or Improvement Association or commercial invasive species, but can spread into sources to grow certified seed. adjoining vegetative communities under ideal climatic and environmental conditions. Bluebunch Wheatgrass Releases Most seedings do not spread from original Anatone Selected Class Germplasm plantings. It is a cross-pollinating species bluebunch wheatgrass (P. spicata spp. and is known to cross with other ecotypes of spicata) was selected from seed originating bluebunch wheatgrass, quackgrass, near Anatone, Washington by the Forest thickspike wheatgrass and bottlebrush Service Shrub Sciences Laboratory. It was squirreltail. These natural crosses broaden released by the Forest Service Shrub Science the gene pool and do not dominate a site or Laboratory, BLM, Aberdeen Plant Materials crowd out the native ecotypes. In many Center, Idaho-Utah AES, ARS and the Utah cases the resulting progeny are sterile Division of Wildlife Resources in 2003. (Anderton and Barkworth 2009). Anatone germplasm establishes rapidly and has the ability to survive and thrive under Seed Production dry conditions at or above 10 inches rainfall. Seed production of bluebunch wheatgrass It is intended for use on valley and foothill has been very successful under cultivated rangelands for re-establishment of native conditions. Row spacing of 24 to 36 inches plant communities, vegetative firebreaks, are recommended under irrigation and 36 and critical area stabilization and inches under dryland conditions. Seeding reclamation purposes. Certified seed is rates of 3 to 4 PLS per acre are available. Generation 1 seed is produced by recommended. Cultivation will be needed Aberdeen PMC. to maintain rows and weed-free conditions. Seed fields are productive for three to four 'Goldar' bluebunch wheatgrass (P. spicata years. Average production of 75 to 100 spp. spicata) was selected from seed pounds per acre can be expected under collected on Mallery Ridge of the Umatilla dryland conditions. Average production of National Forest in Asotin County, 150 to 250 pounds per acre can be expected Washington by the Aberdeen Plant under irrigated conditions. Harvesting is Materials Center. It was released by Idaho- best completed by swathing, followed by Utah AES, ARS and the PMC in 1989. combining of the cured rows. The seed 'Goldar' is noted for rapid establishment, heads readily shatter and require close high forage production, and the ability to scrutiny of maturing stands. If direct survive and thrive under dry conditions at or combined, harvest at 30 percent moisture above 12 inches rainfall. It is best adapted and dry seed down to 12 percent moisture (if for use on higher rainfall foothill and stored in bins) or 15 percent moisture (if mountain rangelands for re-establishment of stored in sacks). Debearding may be native plant communities, vegetative required during processing. Seed is firebreaks, and critical area stabilization and generally harvested from mid-July to mid- reclamation purposes. Certified seed is August. available and Breeder and Foundation seed is maintained by Aberdeen PMC (Alderson Cultivars, Improved and Selected and Sharp 1994). Materials (and area of origin) Foundation and registered seed is available P-7 Selected Germplasm bluebunch through the appropriate state Crop wheatgrass (P. spicata spp. spicata) was
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generated by open- pollinating 25 native Discovery was compared to Secar in seeded populations of bluebunch wheatgrass from trials at two sites in the Intermountain Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington Region and four sites in the Great Plains and British Columbia resulting in high (Jones, 2008). Stand frequency of Discovery genetic diversity. ARS and the Utah in the Intermountain locations for year 2 was Agricultural Experiment Station released P- 49.3% compared to 27.4% for Secar. 7 in 2001. Its full range of adaptation is not Forage yield of Discovery for years 2 to 4 fully understood, but it is expected to was 108.0% greater than Secar. No survive and thrive under dry conditions at or significant differences were observed at the above 12 inches rainfall. It is intended for Great Plains locations. Discovery was also use on valley, foothill and mountain compared to Secar in a transplanted trial at rangelands for re-establishment of native Millville, Utah where it produced 18% plant communities, vegetative firebreaks, greater straw weight across two densities the and critical area stabilization and summer after establishment. reclamation purposes. Certified seed is available and Breeder seed is maintained by The populations used to generate Discovery USDA-ARS, Logan, Utah.. trace to materials collected in Whitman and Asotin counties in southeastern Washington 'Whitmar' beardless wheatgrass (P. spicata and Idaho County in central Idaho. spp. inermis) is the awnless form of bluebunch wheatgrass. It was selected by Breeder seed is maintained by the USDA- Pullman PMC from seed native to the ARS Forage and Range Research Palouse grasslands near Colton, Laboratory, Logan, UT, and is available to Washington. Idaho-Oregon-Washington growers through the Utah Crop AES and Aberdeen-Corvallis-Pullman Improvement Association for production of PMCs released ‘Whitmar’ in 1946. It Foundation, Registered, and Certified performs best above 12 inches rainfall in generations. high winter-low summer precipitation areas. 'Whitmar' was selected for forage quality, 'Secar' is the first release of Snake River seedling vigor, and good seed production wheatgrass (Elymus wawawaiensis). It was and is intended for use on rangeland for re- released as a bluebunch wheatgrass, but establishment of native plant communities cytological examination later determined it and for reclamation. Certified seed is to be Snake River wheatgrass (Carlson and available and Breeder seed is maintained by Barkworth 1997). The collection site for Pullman PMC (Alderson and Sharp 1994). Secar is along the Snake River Gorge near Lewiston, Idaho. The Idaho- Oregon- Snake River Wheatgrass Releases Montana-Wyoming AES, Washington ‘Discovery’ Snake River wheatgrass Agriculture Research Center, and Pullman (Elymus wawawaiensis) was released in Plant Materials Center released Secar in 2008. It was developed from four accessions 1980. that were found to have improved vigor in comparison to Secar. These accessions were It is one of the most drought-tolerant native crossed and seed was harvested in bulk to perennial grasses available and can survive generate Discovery. down to 8 inches rainfall. It is a bunchgrass with fair to good seedling vigor and establishes well under droughty conditions.
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While Secar is considered to be highly (Agropyron spicatum): A review. drought tolerant as a mature plant, drought Oregon Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. No. 669. often reduces the stand during Ogle, D. and B. Brazee. 2009. Estimating establishment. 'Secar' is intended for use on Initial Stocking Rates. Idaho Range rangeland to re-establishment of native-plant Technical Note No. 3. Appendix B. communities and for cropland retirement USDA-NRCS. Boise, Idaho. plantings. Certified seed is available and USDA, Forest Service 1996. Fire effects Breeder seed is maintained by Pullman information system. Version: 000413. PMC. Foundation seed is available through
New York. For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local Jones, T.A., 2008. Notice of Release of NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
USDA, ARS, Logan, Utah. 7 p. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all Hitchcock, A. S. 1950. Manual of the its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and grasses of the United States. USDA, marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication Washington, DC. of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). Miller, R.P., J.M. Seufert, and M.R. Haferkamp. 1987. The ecology and To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, management of bluebunch wheatgrass Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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