Seed Characteristics

The following table was compiled from several different sources. The values shown in the table are for planning purposes only. Local seed sources should be consulted prior to the fire season to determine the availability of erosion control seed and to localize the prescription rates based on seed purity, germination rate, and pure live seed percentages.

In the table, common names which are bold-faced and underlined are native species. Common names which are not underlined are introduced species.

Common Name
Scientific Name
Seeds/lb
GRASS
Crested wheatgrass
Agropyron cristatum
200,000
Thickspike wheatgrass
Agropyron dasystachyum
156,000
Standard crested wheatgrass
Agropyron desertorum
175,000
Tall wheatgrass
Agropyron elongtum
79,000
Beardless bluebunch wheatgrass
Agropyron inerme
135,000
Intermediate wheatgrass
Agropyron intermedium
100,000
Streambank wheatgrass
Agropyron riparium
170,000
Siberian wheatgrass
Agropyron sibericum
250,000
Western wheatgrass
Agropyron smithii
10,000
Bluebunch wheatgrass
Agropyron spicatum
140,000
Slender wheatgrass
Agropyron trachycaulum
160,000
Pubescent wheatgrass
Agropyron trichophorum
91,000
Redtop
Agrostis alba
4,900,000
Creeping bentgrass
Agrostis palustris
7,800,000
Colonial bentgrass
Agrostis tenuis
8,500,000
Creeping foxtail
Alopecurus arundinaceus
900,000
Meadow foxtail
Alopecurus pratensis
900,000
Caucasian bluestem
Andropogen caucasicus
1,072,000
Big bluestem
Andropogen gerardi
130,000
Sand bluestem
Andropogen hallii
113,000
Yellow bluestem
Andropogen ischaemum
479,000
Tall oatgrass
Arrhenatherum elatius
150,000
Sideoats grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
191,000
Black grama
Bouteloua eriopoda
1,355,000
Blue grama
Bouteloua gracilis
825,000
Meadow brome
Bromus bierbersteinii
80,000
Rescue brome
Bromus catharticus
62,000
Smooth brome
Bromus inermis
125,000
Mountain brome
Bromus marginatus
90,000
Soft chess
Bromus mollis
265,000
Alaska brome
Bromus sitchensis
59,000
Russian brome
Bromus tomentellus
112,000
Buffalograss
Buchloc dactyloides
56,000
Prairie sandreed
Calamovilfa longifolia
273,000
Bermudagrass
Cynadon dactylon
1,600,000
Orchardgrass
Dactylis glomerata
540,000
Tufted hairgrass
Deschampsia caespitosa
2,500,000
Inland saltgrass
Distichlis stricta
520,000
Altai wildrye
Elymus angustus
58,300
Canada wildrye
Elymus canadensis
115,000
Great basin wildrye
Elymus cinereus
165,000
Mammoth wildrye
Elymus giganteus
55,000
Blue wildrye
Elymus glaucus
131,000
Russian wildrye
Elymus junceus
170,000
Salina wildrye
Elymus salinus
379,500
Creeping (or beardless) wildrye
Elymus curvula
51,000
Weeping lovegrass
Eragrostis curvula
1,500,000
Boer lovegrass
Eragrostis curvula
2,922,000
Lehmann lovegrass
Eragrostis lehmanniana
1,463,000
Sand lovegrass
Eragrostis trichodes
1,500,000
Arizona fescue
Festuca arizonica
550,000
Tall fescue
Festuca arundinacea
227,000
Idaho fescue
Festuca idahoensis
450,000
Hard fescue
Festuca longifolia
565,000
Foxtail (or Zorro) fescue
Festuca megalura
412,000
Sheep fescue
Festuca ovina
680,000
Red fescue
Festuca rubra
615,000
Rough fescue
Festuca scabrella
200,000
Thurber fescue
Festuca thurberi
995,000
Galleta
Ililaria jamesii
59,000
Prairie junegrass
Koeleria cristata
2,315,400
Annual ryegrass
Lolium multiflorum
217,000
Perennial ryegrass
Lolium perennei
247,000
Spike muhly
Muhlengergia wrightii
1,600,000
Indian ricegrass
Oryzopsis hymenoides
235,000
Blue or giant panicum
Panicum obtusum
679,000
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
389,000
Reed canarygrass
Phalaris arundinacea
506,000
Timothy
Phleum pratense
1,300,000
Alphine bluegrass
Poa alpinum
1,000,000
Big bluegrass
Poa ampla
882,000
Bulbous bluegrass
Poa bulbosa
450,000
Canby bluegrass
Poa canbyi
926,000
Canada bluegrass
Poa compressa
2,500,000
Alkali bluegrass
Poa juncifolia
1,000,000
Nevada bluegrass
Poa nevadensis
1,082,000
Kentucky bluegrass
Poa pratensis
2,177,000
Sandberg bluegrass
Poa sandbergii
925,000
Alkaligrass
Puccinellia distanus
1,200,000
Mediterranean grass
Schismus barbatus
4,000,000
Little bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
260,000
Cereal Rye
Secale cereale
18,000
Bottlebrush squirreltail
Sitanion hystrix
192,000
Johnson grass
Sorghum halepense
118,000
Alkali sacaton
Sporobolus airoides
1,750,000
Sand dropseed
Sporobolus cryptandrus
5,298,000
Giant dropseed
Sporobolus giganteus
1,723,000
Columbia needlegrass
Stipa columianal
50,000
Needle and thread
Stipa comata
115,000
Letterman needlegrass
Stipa letermani
150,000
Green needlegrass
Stipa viridula
181,000
LEGUMES
Cicer mikvetch
Astragalus cicer
45,000
Crownvetch
Coronilla varia
110,000
Beachpea
Lathyrus japonicus
12,000
Flat pea
Lathyrus sylvestris
15,000
Birdsfoot trefoil
Lotus corniculatus
470,000
Narrowleaf trefoil
Lotus tenuis
485,000
Big trefoil
Lotus uliginosus
1,000,000
Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
210,000
White sweetclover
Melilotus alba
262,000
Yellow sweetclover
Melilotus officinalis
260,000
Sainfoin
Onobrychis viciaefolia
18,000
Strawberry clover
Trifolium fragiferum
300,000
Rose clover
Trifolium hirtum
140,000
Alsike clover
Trifolium hybridum
682,000
Red clover
Trifolium pratense
281,000
White dutch clover
Trifolium repens
800,000
Ladino clover
Trifolium repens latum
800,000
Wooly pod vetch
Vicia dasycarpa
11,000
Hairy vetch
Vicia villosa
20,000