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Blue-joint Grass
Calamagrostis canadensis

a.k.a. Canada Bluejoint

Cool-season, perennial grass with a mature height of 2-4'. It has many very slender stems that arise from small rhizomes. Canada blue-joint is used in upper shoreline zones and in vegetated swales. This species also does well in landscaping, restorations (especially wetland, wet meadow and wet prairie), and mitigation sites. It provides good wildlife habitat for songbirds.

USDA symbol: CACA4

General Information

Plant TypeGrass
Height4 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorGreen, Brown
Blue-joint Grass (Blue-joint Grass<div><em class="small">Calamagrostis canadensis</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Native Landscapes (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceHigh
General Resilience8
Salt ToleranceLow

Pollinator Value: None Known

Bloom MonthsAugust to September

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Erosion Control, Restoration, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism6
Herbivore SensitivityHigh
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadMedium
Soil StabilizationDeep
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Rice, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Todd, Wabasha, Wadena, Washington, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands