Plant Names
Poa palustris
Fowl Bluegrass
pâturin des marais
Plant Characteristics
Bloom Colour: Green
Bloom Period: Jul - Aug
Max Height: 3.0 feet
Max Width: 2.0 feet (spreads by rhizome)
Light Condition:
More than 6 hours of direct sun a day
More than 2 or 3 hours but less than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Soil conditions:
Tolerates wet soil condition
More than 6 hours of direct sun a day
More than 2 or 3 hours but less than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Tolerates wet soil condition
Lifespan:
Perennial
plants that will come back year after year
Gardener Experience:
Spreads by rhizome
Self-seeding
Spreads by rhizome
Self-seeding
Landscape Uses:
Suitable for wetland garden
Suitable for rain gardens
Suitable for shoreline rehabilitation
Suitable for wetland garden
Suitable for rain gardens
Suitable for shoreline rehabilitation
Ecological Benefits:
Supports birds
Supports birds
Tolerates:
Tolerates sandy conditions
Tolerates sandy conditions
Special Features and Considerations:
Seed and plant distribution status
No seeds available for this plant.
We currently accept seeds for this plant
Fun Facts
Fowl Bluegrass is a cool-season grass associated with wet meadows, marshes, stream edges, and moist open woodlands. It forms loose clumps of green foliage and produces open, delicate flower heads in late spring and summer. It is best suited to consistently moist soil and will tolerate the occasional flooding. It is not a good choice for dry, sandy gardens.
Plant Location
Native to Ottawa region: Yes
Distribution according to VASCAN
Ephemeral
Native
Introduced
Excluded
Extirpated
Doubtful
Absent
Canadensis
Thrives in Ecozones
- Taiga Plains
- Atlantic Maritime
- Taiga Shield
- Southern Arctic
- Boreal Plains
- Montane Cordillera
- Hudson Plains
- Taiga Cordillera
- Boreal Shield
- Boreal Cordillera
- Pacific Maritime
- Mixed Wood Plains
Ecological Benefits
Butterflies Supported by Poa palustris
No butterfly data available for this plant.
Specialized Bees Supported by Poa palustris
No bee data available for this plant.
Complementary Plants
- Asclepias incarnata
Swamp Milkweed
Asclépiade incarnate - Eutrochium maculatum
Spotted Joe Pye Weed
Eupatoire maculée
Substitute For Non-Native Plants
- Miscanthus (Silvergrass)
Sowing Information
Download Seed Envelope Labels (PDF)
- Sowing depth: Surface sow
- Sow anytime
- Stratification conditions: Can be sown in late spring in warm soil
- Stratification duration: 0 days
- Self-seeding
Harvesting and Seed Sharing
- Harvest start month: October
- Harvesting indicator:
- Seeds easily fall off when you gently pull them off
- Harvesting:
- Use hand to detach from main stem
- Seed viability test:
- No test needed before donating
- Packaging measure: 1 rounded 1/8 teaspoon
- Seed storage:
- Air Dry in paper bag or open container, for a few days until crisp
- Shake seeds to move them once in a while to prevent molding
- Cultivar: No, you can donate without knowing the source as there are only straight species
- No harvesting video available at this time.