Rice Cutgrass - Leersia oryzoides

  Category: Grass

Common Name: Rice Cutgrass

Scientific Name: Leersia oryzoides

Sun Conditions:Full Sun/Partial Shade

Soil Conditions: Wet to Medium-Wet (standing water tolerated)

Height Range: 2.5-4 ft

Width Range: Spreads by long rhizomes into colonies (space 1-3 ft)

Growth Habit: Sprawling, colony-forming by long rhizomes

Growth Rate: Medium to Fast

Bloom Color: Green (inconspicuous)

Bloom Time: Late Summer to Fall (June-October)

Seed/Fruit Production: Yes

Foliage Color: Green

Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9

Evergreen: No

Deer Resistant: Yes — sharp, toothed leaf edges make it unpalatable to deer (goose resistance is reported by Illinois Wildflowers, though one supplier says geese eat it)

Forage: Low forage value to deer and livestock because of the sharp leaves; seeds and rhizomes are eaten by waterfowl and marsh birds

Poisonous: No known toxicity. Physical hazard: the leaf blades and sheaths are razor-sharp and can cut bare skin.

Wildlife Value Highlights: Wetland/floodplain restoration, stormwater basins, shoreline and streambank erosion control; somewhat aggressive and weedy in disturbed wetlands

Ecological/Landscape Use: Seeds and rhizomes are important food for waterfowl and other wetland birds; dense stands give cover for marsh wildlife; larval host for Least Skipper and Peck's Skipper

Lepidoptera Supported by Family/Group: Host for Least Skipper and Peck's Skipper

Lepidoptera Supported by Species: Ancyloxypha numitor, Polites peckius

For More Info: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/rice_cutgrass.htm