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June Grass
Koeleria macrantha

a.k.a. Prairie Junegrass

June grass thrives on dry, well-drained/sandy soils. It is one of the few cool season native grasses, greening up in May with pale green ornamental flowering stalks in June. By mid-summer, the stalks turn tan and remain attractive throughout the growing season.

USDA symbol: KOMA

General Information

Plant TypeGrass
Height1 to 2 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureDry
Bloom ColorGreen
June Grass (June Grass<div><em class="small">Koeleria macrantha</em></div>)
Photo credit: Light Dark Landscape (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceLow
General Resilience5
Salt ToleranceNone
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant, Fire Tolerant

Pollinator Value: Medium

Bloom MonthsMay to August
Pollinator BenefitStem Nesting

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Rain Garden
Coefficient of Conservatism6
Herbivore SensitivityHigh
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionAbsent

Range

CountyAnoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Murray, Nicollet, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, 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