redtop
Agrostis gigantea Roth

Overview

Appearance

Agrostis gigantea is a perennial grass that makes a coarse turf and grows to 2-3 ft. (0.6-0.9 m) tall.

Foliage

Leaves are bluish green or greyish blue, narrow, sharp and about 0.4 in. (0.95 cm) wide and 8 in. (20.3 cm) long. The stems are slender, growing to 30-40 in. (76.2-101.6 cm) tall.

Flowers

The inflorescence is pyramidal and reddish in color--hence the common name of redtop. Flowers are yellow in color and bloom mid-spring.

Fruit

Fruit and seeds begin ripening in early summer. Seeds are very small and brown in color. Agrostis gigantea grows rapidly after seeding.

Ecological Threat

Agrostis gigantea occurs in areas with shallow water, in wet meadows, in grasslands, and along stream banks. It is native to Eurasia.

Resources

• Fire Effects Information System - USDA Forest Service

Selected Images

Maps

Invasive Listing Sources

• City of Ann Arbor Michigan Parks and Recreation
• Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
• Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
• John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
• Maryland Code and Regulations Noxious Weed & Seed Law
• National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
• Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
• Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program Tracked Species List
• WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
• West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999

References