SafePlants

Oat Grass: A Versatile Green

Let's explore the fascinating world of oat grass, a plant with a variety of uses and appearances. From a nutritional supplement for pets to an ornamental garden feature, oat grass offers something for everyone.

Considerations for Pets

• Some cats enjoy nibbling on oat grass, similar to cat grass, which can aid in digestion.
• Oat grass seeds are also sold for oat sprouts.

Scientific Name and Common Names

• Scientific Name: Avena spp. (for Oat), Helictotrichon sempervirens (for Blue Oat Grass), Danthonia californica (for California Oatgrass), Schizachne purpurascens (for Purple Oat Grass)
• Common Names: Oat, Oatgrass, Oat Grass, Oats, Wild Oats, Blue Oat Grass, California Oatgrass, Purple Oat Grass, Yellow Oat Grass, Golden Oat Grass
• Other common names include: Wire-grass, wild oat grass, poverty grass, old fog, bonnett grass, white horse, wild cat grass, June grass.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Family: Poaceae/Gramineae (Grass family)
• Genus: Helictotrichon, Arrhenatherum, Danthonia, Avena, Stipa, Schizachne
• Synonyms: Avena candida (for Helictotrichon sempervirens), Danthonia americana
• Botanical varieties of Danthonia americana include: americana, californica, palousensis, and piperi.

Distribution and Habitat

• Arrhenatherum is native to Eurasia and North Africa.
• False Oat-grass is commonly found in grasslands, roadside verges, and disturbed grounds.
• California oatgrass (Danthonia californica) is found in western coastal regions of North and South America.
• False Oat grass is native to Europe and has been introduced to the United States.
• False oat-grass is found in a wide range of neutral to base-rich habitats, characterizing the MG1 community.
• Eastern Carpathian yellow oatgrass meadows are located in the Romanian Carpathians.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) forms a mound of grassy gray-blue leaves.
• Oat grass prefers light, well-drained soil in full or partial sun, forming low tufts with basal leaves that tend to curve.
• Yellow Oat-grass (or Golden Oat-grass) is a perennial grass of medium height, forming loose tufts with soft leaves and finely branched heads that turn yellow.
• False oat-grass is a tall, fluffy-looking perennial.
• Stipa gigantea (Giant or Golden Oat Grass) is loved for its tall upright stems that produce large airy heads.
• Tall oatgrass is a loosely-tufted grass with erect, smooth stems.
• Loosely tufted grass 50 to 150 cm tall, with orange yellow roots and dull flat leaves 10 to 40 cm long and 1 to 8 mm wide. Panicle is 10 to 25 cm long, whorled.
• Yellow Oat Grass has a short rootstock forming loose tufts. The stems are from one to two feet high, very slender, and leafy to about the middle.
• Blue oat grass is a clump-forming, cool season, ornamental grass which typically grows 2-3' tall (foliage clump to 2' and flower stem brings total height to 3').
• Tall oatgrass stems 28-70 inches tall that are occasionally bulblike at the base.

Uses

• Oats in their grass form are commonly used for horses.
• For indoor cats, nibbling on grass is excellent for digestion.
• California oatgrass is recommended for various uses.
• False Oat grass is used for making hay and for grazing.

Quirky Facts

• Wheat Grass and Oat Grass are very close nutritionally, the juice of which has a very intense flavor.
• Blue oat grass is valued for its "dramatic powder blue" color.
• Oatgrass contains many elements to keep your pet healthy and happy, including 16 vitamins and 13 minerals.

Further Information

• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) offers help and information on Helictotrichon sempervirens (blue oat grass).
• Monrovia provides details and information on Blue Oat Grass.
• Dave's Garden provides a community forum for sharing gardening tips and ideas.
• Lowes.com offers 1-Quart Blue Oat Grass (L9321) for purchase.