- Agrostis gigantea is a perennial grass that makes a coarse turf and grows to 2-3 ft. (0.6-0.9 m) tall.
- Leaves are bluish green or greyish blue, narrow, sharp and about 0.4 in. (0.95 cm) wide and 8 in. (20.3 cm) long. The stems are slender, growing to 30-40 in. (76.2-101.6 cm) tall.
- The inflorescence is pyramidal and reddish in color--hence the common name of redtop. Flowers are yellow in color and bloom mid-spring.
- Fruit and seeds begin ripening in early summer. Seeds are very small and brown in color. Agrostis gigantea grows rapidly after seeding.
- Ecological Threat
- Agrostis gigantea occurs in areas with shallow water, in wet meadows, in grasslands, and along stream banks. It is native to Eurasia.
- Carey, Jennifer H. 1995. Agrostis gigantea. Fire Effects Information System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory
- Global Invasive Species Database. 2011. Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Flora of China, www.eFloras.org
- USDA NRCS PLANTS
- USDA ARS GRIN