Nuttall's Alkaligrass
Puccinellia nuttalliana
Also known as: Polar Alkaligrass
- Native to:
- Canada, Greenland, Prince Edward I., Russia, United States
Matt Lavin (www.flickr.com) from Bozeman, Montana, USA
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Puccinellia
- Species:
- Puccinellia nuttalliana
- USDA Symbol:
- PUNU2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from base after fire; common in fire-maintained grasslands.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- saline, sandy to loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.5 - 8.5 (neutral to slightly alkaline)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in saline or alkaline flats
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–28 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily with cold stratification. Tolerates saline conditions during germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI