Orchard grass is an introduced perennial, clump-forming, cool-season grass, without rhizomes. Its flower stalks have relatively few branches, and the flowers are grouped into dense clusters of spikelets that are usually oriented mostly to
Orchard grass is an introduced perennial, clump-forming, cool-season grass, without rhizomes. Its flower stalks have relatively few branches, and the flowers are grouped into dense clusters of spikelets that are usually oriented mostly to one side their branch stalk.
The flowering stems may be up to nearly 4 feet tall and are somewhat flattened, especially near the base. The leaf sheaths are closed to about the midpoint and are keeled (V-shaped in cross-section). At the junction of the leaf sheath and leaf blade is a well-developed ligule (membranous flap) to about ½ inch long; it is sometimes hairy and is usually torn into several lobes at maturity. Leaf blades are 3–16 inches long. Orchard grass is usually a bluish or grayish green.
Flower clusters are in panicles 2¾–8 inches long. There are relatively f