©Dolezal Publishing/Image Point
Family
Poaceae
Botanical Name
Lolium perenne
Plant Common Name
Perennial Ryegrass
General Description
With exceptionally dark green and glossy leaf blades, perennial ryegrass is a turfgrass valued for use on athletic fields and home lawns when seasonal temperatures are cool. If never mowed, this clumping grass becomes an upright, fountain-shaped mass of narrow leaves and stems that may have hints of pink. When maintained low (about 3 inches/7 cm tall), it creates a dense, finely textured lawn.
The dark green blades of perennial ryegrass sprout from seed and grow quickly. Once established it returns annually and will flower and set seed if not cut. Tall airy floral plumes appear from midsummer to mid-autumn, and look like loose seed heads of rye.
For best growth, sow seeds of perennial ryegrass in a fertile, moist, well-drained soil in full sun. It is a tough plant that will withstand a wide range of soil types that are never hot and dry. It will turn yellow and tan in excessive heat or dry soils, going dormant and resprouting from the roots once ideal conditions return. In regions with cool, moist winters and cool summers this grass is lush and evergreen in lawns. Often it is grown intermixed with other grasses in warm temperate climates, providing a green look to warm-season lawns (like Bermudagrass) in the fall, winter and early spring months. Perennial ryegrass looks its best when temperatures do not exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit and soils remain cool and moist. 'Manhattan' is a variety with finer-textured foliage and creates an especially uniform lawn.
The naturally occurring subspecies multiflorum is known as Italian or annual ryegrass and has larger, coarser leaf blades. Annual ryegrass is shorter-lived than perennial ryegrass, although it can survive like a perennial if the climate is cool and moist. Typically, annual ryegrass is sown in fall to sprout and reduce erosion on hills or in fields, or to provide short-term green color to lawns in mild winter regions.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
7 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
3 - 7
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Sunset Zone
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
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Plant Type
Grass
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
18"-24" / 45.7cm - 61.0cm
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Width
12"-20" / 30.5cm - 50.8cm
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Bloom Time
Summer
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Native To
Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Russia/Siberia, Western Asia
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Average
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Soil type
Clay, Loam
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Growth Rate
Fast
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Water Requirements
Average Water
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Habit
Clump-Forming
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Lawns and Turf
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Self-Sowing
Yes
