HomeOur BlogGet to Know Your Grasslands: Western Wheatgrass
The native prairies can feature unique bright colours that stand out when walking through or driving by. These vibrant plants are usually flowerheads on forbs, however, there are exceptions including Western Wheatgrass! You may be thinking, how could a grass be described as bright or vibrant but Western wheatgrass can be easily identifiable by its bright purple auricles that are small, clasping growths around the leaf collar and its blue-green colour, making it stand out in a pasture of other grasses and easier to identify.
Western Wheatgrass, scientifically called Pascopyrum smithii is a member of the Poaceae grass family. It typically grows to be in the range of 10-36 cm tall. It is considered a C3 plant which we classify as ‘cool-season grass’ and will grow faster and earlier compared to warm season grasses. They will emerge as early as March and April and is a preferred forage for cattle, horses, deer and elk in the spring. It is also a perennial grass and has sod-forming characteristics including very strong rhizomes. They have dense and narrow seed spikes at the top of the plant that can range from 2 to 6 inches long and the leaves are less than a quarter inch wide, but are still wide, strong leaves, that come off the grasses thick stem at at 45 degree angle. During wet years this grass can become aggressive and will overtake neighbouring grasses and forbs with its dense rhizomatous roots. Due to its ability to form thick cover, western wheatgrass is often recommended for erosion control.
Western wheatgrass is palatable for all livestock, including cattle. The protein levels are high in the spring, up to 18% but will decrease down to 3-4% as the plant matures through the growing season. While the protein levels fall, the digestible carbohydrate levels will increase 40-50% late in the season, making it a desirable forage in the fall and winter. When grazing livestock on a pasture with Western Wheatgrass, it is still sensitive to over grazing like other native species and it is recommended that 40-50% of the annual growth should remain after grazing. It are commonly used on restoration projects since they are highly tolerant of saline soils and are compatible will numerous other native grass species. Like any grassland restoration project, care should be taken to avoid grazing before the grasses are firmly established.Western wheatgrass is commonly grown in disturbed areas and is an increaser which means as the grazing pressure increases, so does the presence of western wheatgrass. Knowing this we can watch changes in the plant community to monitor for overgrazing. Western wheatgrass is an extremely resilient and adaptive grass found all over Saskatchewan. This common grass can play a key part in your pasture’s biodiversity and forage quality due to its many unique characteristics.