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Silky Wildrye
Elymus villosus

Silky Wild Rye is a versatile grass species that grows in a variety of soil and sun conditions. It grows in spring and fall and is an excellent source of habitat for wildlife and pollinators.

USDA symbol: ELVI

General Information

Plant TypeGrass
Height3 feet
Light ExposureSun, Part Sun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorGreen
Silky Wildrye (Silky Wildrye<div><em class="small">Elymus villosus</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota DNR (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience5
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceGeneral Disturbance

Pollinator Value: None Known

Bloom MonthsJuly to October

Project Planning

Project TypeShoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism7
Herbivore SensitivityHigh
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadMedium
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionAbsent

Range

CountyBig Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cass, Chisago, Clay, Cottonwood, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Le Sueur, Lincoln, McLeod, Meeker, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Norman, Pipestone, Pope, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, 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