Cereal Rye

Secale cereale

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Poaceae
Genus:
Secale
Species:
Secale cereale

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Annual
Growth Habit:
Graminoid
Height:
4-6 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug
Food Forest:
Plant contains edible parts

Native Range

United States: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Agrotis orthogonia, Army cutworm (Euxoa auxiliaris), Armyworm moth (Pseudaletia unipuncta), changeable grass-veneer (Fissicrambus mutabilis), corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), Deterred Dart (Euxoa detersa), dingy cutworm (Feltia jaculifera), Euxoa comosa, Euxoa scandens, Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Faronta albilinea, Faronta diffusa, Simyra henrici, sorghum nola moth (Nola sorghiella), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
fertile, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
good drainage required
Moisture:
dry to moderate
Notes:
native to temperate regions with seasonal rainfall