Poa
bluegrass
32 species
18 subspecies and varieties
18 subspecies and varieties
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Poa alpina – alpine bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America; circumboreal.
Habitat: Alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America; circumboreal.
Habitat: Alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. alpina – alpine bluegrass
Poa annua – annual bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Lawns, fields, parking lots, sidewalks, roadsides, wastelots, prairies and grassy balds, and other disturbed, open areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: March-August
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Lawns, fields, parking lots, sidewalks, roadsides, wastelots, prairies and grassy balds, and other disturbed, open areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: March-August
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial
Poa arctica – Arctic bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to Rocky Mountains; circumpolar.
Habitat: Subalpine and alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to Rocky Mountains; circumpolar.
Habitat: Subalpine and alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. arctica – arctic bluegrass
Poa bolanderi – Bolander's bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho and Utah.
Habitat: Coniferous forest openings, montane to alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho and Utah.
Habitat: Coniferous forest openings, montane to alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Poa bulbosa – bulbous bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Disturbed areas from the coast to midmontane.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Disturbed areas from the coast to midmontane.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. vivipara – bulbous bluegrass
Poa compressa – flat-stem bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Waste ground, roadsides, open woods and meadows, usually where moist.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Waste ground, roadsides, open woods and meadows, usually where moist.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa confinis – coastline bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington along the coast; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Coastal sand dunes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington along the coast; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Coastal sand dunes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa curtifolia – little mountain bluegrass, Wenatchees bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in central Washington, where endemic to the Wenatchee Mountains.
Habitat: Rocky subalpine and alpine areas, typically on serpentine or ultramafic rock.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in central Washington, where endemic to the Wenatchee Mountains.
Habitat: Rocky subalpine and alpine areas, typically on serpentine or ultramafic rock.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa cusickii – Cusick's bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Saskatchewan and Colorado.
Habitat: Sagebrush plains to alpine meadows and ridges.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Saskatchewan and Colorado.
Habitat: Sagebrush plains to alpine meadows and ridges.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. cusickii – Cusick's bluegrass
• ssp. epilis – skyline bluegrass
• ssp. pallida – Cusick's bluegrass
• ssp. purpurascens – Cusick's bluegrass
Poa fendleriana – muttongrass
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Rocky to rich slopes in sagebrush, grassland, and open forest, montane to alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Rocky to rich slopes in sagebrush, grassland, and open forest, montane to alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. fendleriana – Vasey's muttongrass
• ssp. longiligula – muttongrass
Poa glauca – glaucous bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, and further east to northeastern North America; circumboreal.
Habitat: Alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, and further east to northeastern North America; circumboreal.
Habitat: Alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. rupicola – timberline bluegrass
Poa howellii – Howell's bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southern British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Lowland to montane rocky banks, forested slopes, and disturbed areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southern British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Lowland to montane rocky banks, forested slopes, and disturbed areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Poa infirma – weak bluegrass
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Poa interior – interior bluegrass, woods bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in northern Washington; Alaska to northern Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Dry to mesic forest and alpine areas, on mossy rocks and scree.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in northern Washington; Alaska to northern Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Dry to mesic forest and alpine areas, on mossy rocks and scree.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa laxiflora – loose-flower bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Southern Alaska to northwestern Oregon.
Habitat: Moist woods to rocky, open slopes, from near sea level to lower elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Southern Alaska to northwestern Oregon.
Habitat: Moist woods to rocky, open slopes, from near sea level to lower elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa leibergii – Leiberg's bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; south-central Washington to northeastern Nevada, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Lowland to montane mossy slopes and moist rocky sites.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; south-central Washington to northeastern Nevada, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Lowland to montane mossy slopes and moist rocky sites.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa leptocoma – marsh bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades Range and Olympic Mountains in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains; also in Far Eastern Russia.
Habitat: Margins of lakes, ponds, and streams, subalpine to alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades Range and Olympic Mountains in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains; also in Far Eastern Russia.
Habitat: Margins of lakes, ponds, and streams, subalpine to alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa lettermanii – Letterman's bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades Range in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Mesic to wet, rocky, alpine slopes
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades Range in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Mesic to wet, rocky, alpine slopes
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa macrantha – sand-dune bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; southern Alaska to California.
Habitat: Sand dunes along the marine coast.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; southern Alaska to California.
Habitat: Sand dunes along the marine coast.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa marcida – withered bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern Vancouver Island to northwestern Oregon.
Habitat: Openings in rich, mesic, generally old-growth coniferous forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern Vancouver Island to northwestern Oregon.
Habitat: Openings in rich, mesic, generally old-growth coniferous forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa nemoralis – woodland bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Caiifornia; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Mesic, generally shady habitats at lower elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Caiifornia; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Mesic, generally shady habitats at lower elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa nervosa – Hooker's bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Alberta.
Habitat: Wet rocks and cliffs to mesic forest slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Alberta.
Habitat: Wet rocks and cliffs to mesic forest slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa palustris – fowl bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Sea level to open meadows and forested areas in the mountains, always where moist.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Sea level to open meadows and forested areas in the mountains, always where moist.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa paucispicula – Alaska bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades Range and Olympic Mountains in Washington; Alaska to Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Open, mesic, rocky alpine slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades Range and Olympic Mountains in Washington; Alaska to Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Open, mesic, rocky alpine slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa pratensis – Kentucky bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast: circumboreal.
Habitat: Moist, distrurbed areas from the coast to middle elevations.
Origin: Both native and introduced
Flowers: April-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast: circumboreal.
Habitat: Moist, distrurbed areas from the coast to middle elevations.
Origin: Both native and introduced
Flowers: April-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. angustifolia – Kentucky bluegrass
• ssp. irrigata – Kentucky bluegrass
• ssp. pratensis – Kentucky bluegrass
Poa secunda
Distribution: Widely distributed throughout Washington; Alaska south to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Grasslands and forest openings from sea-level to the alpine
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Widely distributed throughout Washington; Alaska south to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Grasslands and forest openings from sea-level to the alpine
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. juncifolia – alkali bluegrass, big bluegrass, Nevada bluegrass
• ssp. secunda – curly blue grass
Poa stenantha – narrow-flowered bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Meadows and cliffs from middle elevations to the alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Meadows and cliffs from middle elevations to the alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. stenantha – narrow-flower bluegrass
Poa suksdorfii – Suksdorf's bluegrass, western bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; south-central British Columbia to central Oregon.
Habitat: Open, rocky ground in alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; south-central British Columbia to central Oregon.
Habitat: Open, rocky ground in alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Poa trivialis – rough-stalk bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist deciduous forest, riparian areas, disturbed grassland, and lawns at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist deciduous forest, riparian areas, disturbed grassland, and lawns at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. trivialis – rough-stalk bluegrass
Poa unilateralis – sea-bluff bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern Washington to California.
Habitat: Coastal bluffs.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern Washington to California.
Habitat: Coastal bluffs.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. pachypholis – San Francisco bluegrass
Poa wheeleri – Wheeler's bluegrass
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Dry forest, sagebrush desert, and meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Dry forest, sagebrush desert, and meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
