Germination Notes: Purpleneedle Grass

Yesterday, when I was out on my hands and knees looking at my grass seedlings coming up through the soil- I noticed a couple that looked different.  Instead of the smooth wispy blades, these had slightly broader blades and have minute trichomes on them.  Not being a botanist- I will call them trichomes and guess that I am right.  Tiny hairs coming off the blades making them look a little fuzzy.  The Red Fescue is smooth.  Our sod has the trichomes as does Stebbins Grass (the weed I pulled from the Cactus garden as a pup doing an internship is the Strybing Arboretum waaaay long ago- I am still scared emotionally), but I am quite sure that this is neither.  This is still attached to seeds, so I will risk it and declare: "WE HAVE GERMINATION!  PURPLE NEEDLEGRASS IS HERE!  HORRAY!"

Purple Needlegrass

So far- it is only a few that I can find, but it really is like finding a needlegrass in a fescue stack.  Not easy.  Get it?  Get it?  Needlegrass in a Fescue stack?  Hahaha!  (I need to get out more- but I digress).

I am excited for the Needlegrass since I know absolutely nothing about grasses and it is a fun adventure to learn.  Before I embarked on this adventure, I had no idea that we had a state grass, nevertheless the name of the state grass.  Now I know that this particular grass has roots that can go up to 20' deep.  Wow.  I learned from Google, that it is the state grass because it is the most widespread (and use to be the most dominant grass species), it produces lots of seeds and many Native American tribes depended on it for food, it can stand up to the nasty invasives better than some species and with that massive root system, it can help stabilize hills and is more drought tolerant.  I learned from planting it why it is called "Needlgrass" as I stabbed myself with a couple seeds when sowing them.  One drew blood.  Well... kinda.  I mean it hurt and all.  It was sharp.  Beyond all that, however, it also should be pretty.  It is in our yard for the later.

I have mentioned this a few times, but we have laid out the meadow as a "canvas" with "painted swaths" on top.  The Needlegrass is part of the swaths.  The Red Fescue should be a low mounding grass that will give a good background but the Needlegrass should be more dramatic.  We have it just in specific places to form 2' tall bunches that form purple tinted flower stalks.  Sounds pretty to me, but just as I have said over and over, this is all just an experiment and I have no idea how it will turn out.

Another day- another germination.  Let the good times roll!