Slender Meadow Foxtail

Alopecurus myosuroides

Found in moist fields, roadsides. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) 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 2.3 feet
Light: Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture: Moist to wet

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Bush's Sedge
Carex bushii
Sun: Partial shade, Full sun. Soil: Dry to moist. Flowers: Green.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous
Fox Sedge
Carex vulpinoidea
Sun: Full to part sun. Soil: Moist to wet. Flowers: Green.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous
Bristly Sedge
Carex comosa
Sun: Full sun. Soil: Moist to wet. Flowers: Green.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Bloom: Summer
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.

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: Grows in clumps
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

Bloom · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Grows in clumps” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Height · “About 2.3 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source