Agropyron cristatum
Common name, Crested WheatgrassAgropyron cristatum is a type of wheatgrass. There are other species of wheatgrass, such as desert wheatgrass (agropyron desertorum) and Siberian wheatgrass (agropyron fragile); however crested wheatgrass is the most prevalent species in the United States and in Utah. Some do not consider crested wheatgrass and desert wheatgrass to be separate species as they readily cross to produce fertile hybrids, the most common of these is known as "hycrest".
Crested wheatgrass is a perennial grass commonly planted in the western U.S., but can be found throughout the Great Plains and even on the east coast in Delaware and New York. These long lived, cool season, drought tolerant plants where introduced to the American continent in the early 1900's from northern Asia for the purpose of forage production. Wheatgrass is ideal for forage production; however crested wheatgrass is not as productive as the Siberian and hycrest varieties. Agropyron species are valuable to ranchers because they can be grazed 2 to 4 weeks earlier than native grass species.
Crested wheatgrass has been shown to invade natural grasslands and decrease species diversity in those areas. Despite this threat to native grasses, nowhere in the United States is crested wheatgrass classified as an invasive species. This may be due to the fact that the plant is considered useful in many regards. One positive aspect is that wheatgrass is one of the few plants that can compete with cheatgrass (bromus tectorum), which is considered to be a more noxious and invasive plant. Wheatgrass is predominately used for forage production, but is also used for erosion control on roadsides, ditch banks, dikes and along pipelines. Crested wheatgrass is also used in Xeriscaping. Wildlife such as elk, deer and antelope graze on wheatgrass in the spring. Birds and small rodents also eat wheatgrass seed.
Crested wheatgrass can vary in height between 1 to 3 feet. The stems are leafy and erect, forming a dense tuft or bunch. At the top end of the stems are short broad seed spikes that range in length from 1.5 to 3 inches long. The leaves protrude upward at an angle, and are flat with slightly rough tops and smooth bottoms.
Crested wheatgrass is also very fire resistant. Its leaves and coarse stems are so sparse that even if they burn there is very little heat transfer to below ground thus the bottom of the plant survives. It can even be used as a firebreak in semi-arid and arid rangelands.
