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Eastern Bottlebrush-grass

Elymus hystrix

48
Good

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
2.5–3 feet
Spread
1–1.5 feet
Light
Dappled sunlight, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 1 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 100 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
June to August

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 17 West Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 141 animals.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

25CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Elymus

  • Amblyscirtes vialisCommon Roadside-Skipper, Black Little Skipper
  • Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
  • Apamea devastatorGlassy Borer, Glassy Cutworm Moth
  • Apamea lignicoloraWood-Colored Apamea
  • Apamea sordensBordered Apamea, Rustic Shoulder-Knot
  • Cercyonis pegalaCommon Wood Nymph
  • Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
  • Ctenucha virginicaVirginia Ctenucha
  • Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
  • Lethe anthedonNorthern Pearly Eye
Show all 25
  • Leucania commoidesDusky Wainscot, Comma Wainscot
  • Leucania phragmitidicolaNeedle Wainscot, Phragmites Wainscot
  • Leucania pseudargyriaFalse Wainscot
  • Limochores mysticLong Dash
  • Lon zabulonZabulon Skipper
  • Loscopia velataVeiled Ear Moth, Veiled Grass Moth
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Nephelodes miniansBronzed Cutworm
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Polites themistoclesTawny-Edged Skipper
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Apamea lutosa
  • Elachista illectella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
4BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Anser albifronsGreater White-fronted Goose
  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
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

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–9b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Brown/copper or green

What its natural habitat tells you

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Bottlebrush Grass; Eastern Bottlebrush grass; Hystrix patula

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources