The Natives are Restless
These grasses adapt well to fire rehabilitation

© 2004 Wendy Dager

"When seeding after a fire, the species need to be quick, consistent performers that will complement the existing seed bank species," says Ben Miller, General Manager of S&S Seeds. "We recommend the following native grasses due to their seedling vigor and growth pattern."

Bromus carinatus (California Brome)—California brome is a large, leafy, short-lived bunchgrass with strong seedling vigor. It grows in open woodland sites throughout California, which receive between 12 and 40 inches of rainfall per year. California brome is a very productive grass and provides good groundcover for wildlife and waterfowl. It is an excellent, general-purpose grass that is very competitive with herbaceous weeds. California brome is quite variable throughout its range and shows a tremendous amount of variability depending on the site and circumstances. Mountain brome (B. marginatus) sold under the name Bromar, is longer-lived than B. carinatus and is grown primarily for seeding mid-elevational mountains of the Northwest. California brome grows from sea level to subalpine elevations. In California, B. carinatus exhibits different degrees of summer dormancy. California brome is the quintessential native grass for revegetation of meadows, open woodlands, and forested sites. There are several varieties of California brome adapted to different elevational and regions of the state.

Bromus Carinatus "Cucamonga" (Cucamonga Brome)—Cucamonga brome is a vigorous fast growing annual, ideally suited to reclamation and erosion control settings. It was selected by the Soil Conservation Service from western San Bernardino County near Rancho Cucamonga. It provides faster winter cover than the more troublesome annual ryegrasses.

Hordeum brachyantherum (Meadow Barley)— Meadow barley is a medium sized, short-lived bunchgrass adapted to moist soils and wet meadows from sea level to over 10,000 ft. elevation. It has good seedling vigor and grows quickly, yet allows other slower growing native grasses to establish if not planted too densely. On dryer sites it will persist for a few years but eventually yields to the longer lived native bunch grasses. There are many ecotypes of this grass in California. Typically, it is an upright tufted grass with flowering culms reaching to 18-20 inches in height. Meadow barley is an excellent fast growing grass for rehabilitation and erosion control projects on a variety of settings but tends to persist in drier sites.

Elymus glaucus (Blue Wildrye)—Blue wildrye is a large, short-lived bunchgrass with strong seedling vigor. Generally, blue wildrye is an upright, tall grass that inhabits woodland areas of the foothills and high mountains, however, there are more compact, leafy varieties adapted to sunny grassland habitats. Blue wildrye grows where annual rainfall ranges between 10 and 40 inches and is generally more drought tolerant than common meadow barley and California brome. Blue wildrye is an excellent grass for reseeding burned and disturbed areas in the oak woodland and forested habitats. There are several varieties of blue wildrye adapted to different elevations and regions in California.

Vulpia microstachys (Small Fescue)—Small fescue is the most common native annual grass of California and frequently occupies the spaces between perennial bunch grasses. It is adapted to dry hillsides, open woodlands, and coarse sandy and crumbling serpentine soils. The plants grow quickly and attain 8 to 16 inches in height. There are two varieties of small fescue adapted to northern and southern California.

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