Reed Canary Grass
Phalaris arundinacea
PC: USGS/Glen MittelhauserIdentification
This robust, perennial grass has been making itself known in wetland and marsh areas of Interior Alaska, as well as in ditches and on cleared land. Its hollow stem grows 2 to 6 feet tall from stout rhizomes and has a bluish-green waxy coating. The leaf blades are rough and flat with transparent ligules and are about the width of a penny. A long spikelet of seeds stays together at first, then opens up and spreads out. Reed canary grass has a notable reddish-purple base.
Reed canary grass was introduced to the state as a way to stabilize soil in roadside development projects. It has also been used as a forage crop and in hay production. It spreads readily to disturbed sites produced via ditching in wetlands, stream channelization, and overgrazing.
When it forms monotypic stands in wetlands, it crowds out and displaces native species and is too thick to be used as cover for waterfowl and small mammals. Dense stands can also promote silt deposition, leading to the constriction of waterways and threatening salmon habitat.
Invasiveness
