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Water Foxtail Grass

Alopecurus geniculatus

Found in ditches, wet clearings, other low, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
About 2 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Moist to wet
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Bristly Sedge
    Carex comosa

    Sun: Full sun. Soil: Moist to wet. Flowers: Green.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

  • Bush's Sedge
    Carex bushii

    Sun: Partial shade, Full sun. Soil: Dry to moist. Flowers: Green.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

  • Sallow Sedge
    Carex lurida

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Green or inconspicuous.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Bloom
May to August
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 7 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Forest edges and thickets

Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields
Named place / source context. Shown: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee; which part is not recorded, a neighboring state.Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields, Richard Schlecht, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Alopecurus

  • Chrysoteuchia topiariusCranberry Girder, Subterranean Webworm, Topiary Grass-Veneer
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
6BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Alopecurus

  • Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Anser caerulescensSnow Goose
  • Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
  • Loxia leucopteraWhite-winged Crossbill
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Flower color
Green
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Spreads by runners
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Virginia rankSNA
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources