SafePlants

Oat Grass: A Closer Look

Oat grass refers to several grass species valued for various purposes, from feeding livestock to adding ornamental value to gardens. Let's explore some key aspects of these versatile plants.

Considerations for Pets

• Some cats enjoy eating straight Oat Grass.
• Oat Grass can be beneficial for indoor cats' digestion when nibbled on.

Scientific Names and Common Names

• Oat (Oatgrass, Oat Grass, Oats, Wild Oats): Avena spp.
• Blue Oat Grass: Helictotrichon sempervirens
• False Oat-grass: Arrhenatherum elatius
• California Oatgrass: Danthonia californica
• Poverty Oat Grass: Danthonia spicata
• Button-grass: Arrhenatherum (common name)

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Family: Poaceae/Gramineae (Grass family)
• Genus (Blue Oat Grass): Helictotrichon
• Synonyms (Blue Oat Grass): Avena candida
• Genus (California Oatgrass and Poverty Oat Grass): Danthonia
• Botanical Varieties (California Oatgrass): americana, californica, palousensis, and piperi
• Tuber Oatgrass: Arrhenatherum elatius L. Presl. Var. bulbosum (Willd). Spenner.

Distribution and Habitat

• Arrhenatherum is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants.
• False Oat-grass is native to Europe and was introduced to the United States.
• California oatgrass is found in western coastal regions of North and South America.
• False oat-grass is found in a wide range of neutral to base-rich habitats.

Ecological Role

• False oat-grass is described as a coarse perennial Eurasian grass resembling oat found on roadside verges and rough grassland and in hay meadows introduced in North America for forage.
• Tall oat grass (A. elatius) has been introduced into various countries.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) is a clump-forming, cool-season, ornamental grass that typically grows 2-3' tall. The foliage clump reaches up to 2', with the flower stem bringing the total height to 3'.
• False Oat-grass is a tall, fluffy-looking perennial.
• Tall oatgrass is a loosely-tufted grass with erect, smooth stems 28-70 inches tall that are occasionally bulblike at the base.
• 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.
• Poverty oat grass (D. spicata) is a grayish green, mat-forming species.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Oat grass, in its grass form, may be most commonly used for horses.
• Cats sometimes eat oat grass.

Additional Information

• Monrovia offers details and information about Blue Oat Grass and best practices for plant performance.
• The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) provides help and information on Helictotrichon sempervirens (blue oat grass).
• Sproutpeople are 100% GMO-Free Organic Seed Specialists since 1993.