Slender wheatgrass
Slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus) is the quick native cool-season bunchgrass: it germinates fast, covers ground in the first season, and tolerates saline and alkaline soils that stop most other natives. It is used as a short-lived nurse crop alongside slower long-lived species.
Why landowners plant slender wheatgrass
- Fastest-establishing native cool-season grass — first-year erosion control.
- Tolerates saline and alkaline seeps and reclaimed ground.
- Short-lived, so it fades as long-lived grasses take over instead of dominating.
- Good forage quality for authorized grazing and haying.
Site fit
Mesic soils in the northern Plains and intermountain west, including salt-affected areas, roadcuts, and reclaimed sites. Keep rates modest so it does not suppress slower species during establishment.
Establishment
Easy to drill at 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Spring or dormant seeding both work. Emerges within two weeks in cool moist soil and typically produces seed in the first or second year.
Management
Stands thin naturally after five to eight years — plan for long-lived species to take over. Hay or graze after seed set to maintain vigor.
CRP practice fit
Nurse-grass component of native grass plantings on tough sites.
Cool-season diversity and quick cover in northern mixes.
Rapid cover in filter strip seedings.
Featured mixes with slender wheatgrass
Pairs well with
Western wheatgrass · Green needlegrass · Canada wildrye · Blue grama
Frequently asked questions
That is the point. It covers bare ground in year one while long-lived grasses build roots, then fades out instead of crowding them.
Yes — it is one of the most salt- and alkali-tolerant native grasses available, which makes it standard on saline seeps and reclaimed ground.