Orchardgrass is an introduced cool-season forage grass from Europe and Asia and one of the most useful pasture and hay grasses in the northern U.S. It is valued for early spring growth, quick regrowth after cutting or grazing, and high palatability for all classes of livestock. It is a long-lived bunchgrass that forms distinct clumps 1.5 to 3.5 feet tall with flattened shoots and dense, clustered seed heads. Orchardgrass tolerates shade better than most forage grasses, so it suits partly shaded pastures and grass-legume mixes with alfalfa, red clover, or ladino clover. It prefers moderately to well-drained soils with a pH of about 5.8 to 7.5 and does not tolerate long saturation or extended drought. Deer graze it readily, and it is used in mixes for nesting and brood cover. Seed about 4 lb PLS per acre at 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, in early spring or late summer.

Quick facts

• Height: 1.5–3.5 ft
• Sun: Full to Partial
• Soil moisture: Medium
• Life cycle: Perennial
• Notes: Cool-season, Bunchgrass, Shade-tolerant, Hay and pasture
• Native range: Introduced forage / cover crop species (not native)