Pinegrass Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Pinegrass

Calamagrostis rubescens near Peshastin, Chelan County Washington
Scientific classification
Genus:	Calamagrostis
Species:	rubescens

Pinegrass, also known as Calamagrostis rubescens, is a type of grass. It's often called pinegrass because it grows in forests where pine trees are found. This plant is a member of the grass family.

Where Pinegrass Grows
What Pinegrass Looks Like
Gallery
See also

Where Pinegrass Grows

Pinegrass grows naturally in western North America. You can find it in Canada, from British Columbia all the way to Manitoba. In the United States, it grows from California to Colorado. This grass likes to live in different places, especially in forests and wooded areas.

What Pinegrass Looks Like

Pinegrass is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It's also a bunchgrass, which means it grows in clumps or bunches. The plant stands up straight, reaching about 60 centimeters to one meter tall.

Most of its leaves grow from the bottom of the plant. They are narrow and flat. If you look closely at the part where the leaf meets the stem, called the collar, you'll see small tufts of hair.

The flowers of pinegrass grow in a special cluster called an inflorescence. This cluster looks like a narrow, spike-like bunch, usually shorter than 15 centimeters. Each small part of the flower cluster is called a spikelet. Each spikelet is about half a centimeter long. It has a bent or twisted bristle, called an awn, that is about the same length.

Pinegrass is a bit unusual because it doesn't flower very often. It usually grows in forest areas. However, it will only produce flowers if it gets a lot of sunlight. This usually happens in late June through August. This grass mostly spreads using underground stems called rhizomes.