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Perennial Ryegrass

Lolium perenne (LOW-lee-um per-EN-ay)

Family: Poaceae Non-native Groundcover (<1 ft)

Perennial Ryegrass is a cool season turf grass with a bunch-like form. It is more often grown in a mixture with Kentucky Bluegrass . It is often used for winter overseeding on sites where high quality and winter color are needed. It does not often survive the onset of warm weather in spring and early summer. It is also a good turfgrass for overseeding bermudagrass, particularly when a wearable surface is needed on athletic fields during the winter or early spring. Perennial Ryegrass has shallow roots and glossy green leaf blades. It is quick to germinate and provides good coverage and traffic tolerance. However, it is non-spreading habit and can become tufted. Because it does not spread, reseeding must be done to cover bare spots. For more information, please refer to the NC State Extension TurfFiles entry for Perennial Ryegrass .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 34 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 5 - Groundcover (<1 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Lolium multiflorum

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Turfgrass
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Mountains
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 3 in. | Width: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 3 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High; Medium
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Hairs present
No
Flower detail
Does not flower.
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe, Asia, Africa
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn
Garden tags
#cool season grass #turfgrass #perennial grass #weedy #bunching
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Wireworms in Turf; Green June Beetles in Turfgrass
Disease problems
Gray Snow Mold in Turf
Other problems
Organic Lawn Care: A Guide to Organic Lawn Maintenance and Pest Management for North Carolina
Resistant to
Drought; Foot Traffic
Propagation
Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.