Koeleria macrantha (June Grass)
Koeleria macrantha (June Grass)
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Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) expresses the viable seed content of a seed lot using its purity and germination or viability test results. It helps you compare seed lots and calculate how much bulk seed is needed to meet a specified PLS planting rate.
PLS weight and bag weight
PLS weight is not the same as the total weight of seed in a bag. For example, a lot with 80% purity and 75% viability contains 60% PLS: 80 × 75 ÷ 100 = 60. Supplying 10 lb PLS from that lot requires about 16.67 lb of bulk seed.
Use the current seed test and the stated basis of the mix specification. Germination calculations may include applicable hard or dormant seed. Seed-count estimates also require the number of seeds per pound; PLS alone does not provide a seed count.
What to check when buying a mix
Check whether each rate is stated in PLS pounds, bulk pounds, or a combination. A mix with both bases should not be described as having an all-PLS total.
PLS does not remove weed seeds or guarantee establishment. Review the seed label and analysis for weed content, and match site preparation, planting conditions and follow-up management to your project.
Sources: USDA NRCS, Understanding Pure Live Seed and The Importance of Seed Quality for Natural Resource Conservation.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
June grass forms a low, tight tuft and flowers near the start of summer. Sandy, sunny ground helps protect it from the competition of taller plants.
For Koeleria macrantha, choose sun and dry soil. Recorded habitats include dry sand prairies; Hill prairies; Stabilized foredunes; Upland sandy savannas; Limestone glades. Reported height: about ½–1½ ft.
Growth habit: tight tufts, usually scattered rather than forming dense colonies. Allow space for this growth between neighboring plants over several seasons, rather than spacing only for the size of a young plant.
Plant specifications & ecological relationships
Key growing facts
| Sunlight | Sun |
|---|---|
| Soil moisture | Dry |
| Height | About ½–1½ ft |
| Bloom season | Late spring or early summer |
Native landscape companions
For full sun and dry soil, consider these native plants alongside Koeleria macrantha:
| Companion plant | Height |
|---|---|
| Mead's Sedge (Carex meadii) | About ½–1¼ ft |
| Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) | ½–2 ft |
| Purple Love Grass (Eragrostis spectabilis) | 1-2 ft |
| Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides) | Up to 2 ft |
These landscape suggestions combine overlapping growing needs with documented plant associations. Match soil, seasonal wetness and mature spread to your site. Remnant records are described separately under Plant communities & associates.
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Tight tufts, usually scattered rather than forming dense colonies |
|---|---|
| Root form | Fibrous roots; Rhizomes |
| Soil pH | 6.0–8.0 |
| Drought tolerance | High |
| Deer browsing | Deer graze the foliage. |
| Salt tolerance | None |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Koeleria macrantha |
|---|---|
| Other common names | june grass |
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary. |
| Plant family | Poaceae |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 2315000 |
Plant characteristics
Koeleria macrantha (June Grass) is a cool season clumping grass that reaches about two feet with beautiful blue-green foliage. Planted best in dry full sun prairie situations, however, it will tolerate mesic soils if there is reduced competition and it will also tolerate partial sun conditions. Silvery green seedheads turn tan by mid to late summer and are a welcomed contrast to the blue-green leaves of the clumping base. The genus name honors German botanist and grass expert Georg Ludwig Koeler.
- Flower Time July, August
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates
Documented Illinois communities
Successional dry sand prairie — Primms Prairie
Lost Mound — Jo Daviess County, Illinois; 2005 survey.
Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Asclepias syriaca, Asclepias verticillata, Brickellia eupatorioides, Eragrostis spectabilis, Juniperus virginiana, Lespedeza capitata, Monarda punctata, Panicum virgatum, Prunus serotina, Rhus aromatica, Rosa carolina, Sorghastrum nutans.
Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.
Mature dry sand prairie
Big River Natural Area — Henderson County, Illinois; 2005 survey.
Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Bouteloua hirsuta, Eragrostis spectabilis, Euphorbia corollata, Lespedeza capitata, Monarda punctata, Quercus velutina, Rhus aromatica, Rhus glabra, Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago nemoralis, Solidago speciosa, Ambrosia psilostachya.
Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.
Late-successional dry sand prairie
Ayers Sand Prairie Nature Preserve — Carroll County, Illinois; 2004 survey.
Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Asclepias verticillata, Aster ericoides, Eragrostis spectabilis, Euphorbia corollata, Lespedeza capitata, Liatris aspera, Panicum virgatum, Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago nemoralis, Viola pedata, Ambrosia psilostachya, Aristida tuberculosa.
Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.
Illinois plant communities
Mesic black-soil prairie — central Illinois
Recorded at Weston Cemetery Prairie (McLean County). INHS identifies these sites as remnants of this community.
Selected native plants from the same remnant records:
- Sorghastrum nutans
- Andropogon gerardii
- Sporobolus heterolepis
- Eryngium yuccifolium
- Silphium laciniatum
- Amorpha canescens
These inventories include edges and disturbed patches. Shared remnant records do not establish that every plant grows together in one microsite.
Green River community records
Dry sand prairie: Lee County, Illinois (2006). Selected catalog plants recorded in this community: Amorpha canescens; Antennaria plantaginifolia; Asclepias verticillata; Coreopsis lanceolata; Euphorbia corollata; Lespedeza capitata.
The study site includes restoration plantings. Community records do not establish county-native origin or a seed-mix recipe.
Other regional plant communities
These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.
- Tallgrass prairie (Great Plains and Midwest): Dalea purpurea.
- Grasslands, woodlands and shrublands (North American range synthesis; associations vary by region): Bouteloua curtipendula.
- Open upper dune slopes and ridges (Nebraska Sandhills): Bouteloua hirsuta.
- Sandy uplands (Mixed- and tallgrass prairie range): Calamovilfa longifolia.
- Tallgrass prairie (Kansas): Elymus canadensis.
- Tallgrass prairie (Nebraska): Elymus canadensis.
- Prairie community (Alberta): Geum triflorum.
- Prairie and open-grassland associates (Tallgrass prairie region; account synthesis): Sporobolus heterolepis.
- Mixed prairie (Northern Great Plains and adjacent regions; account synthesis): Symphyotrichum laeve.
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
State nativity describes a broad range. Use the Chicago-region assessment for local context; a state listing does not establish county nativity.
| Wetland indicator — Corps Chicago 2017 table | UPL |
|---|---|
| C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 | 8 |
| Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 | Yes |
| Native range — U.S. states | Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Delaware; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Mexico; New York; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; South Dakota; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Washington; Wisconsin; Wyoming |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife
Caterpillars & other plant-feeding insects
This plant has published caterpillar host records for the butterflies and moths listed below. These are larval feeding relationships, separate from adult nectar visits. The records span a North American literature compilation and do not establish that every insect occurs locally or uses only this plant.
Butterflies & skippers
- Erebia epipsodea — Common Alpine
- Hesperia columbia — Columbian Skipper
- Hesperia juba — Juba Skipper, Jagged-Border Skipper
- Oarisma garita — Garita Skipperling
- Polites draco — Draco Skipper, Rocky Mountain Skipper
- Polites themistocles — Tawny-Edged Skipper
Moths
- Apantesis blakei
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for June Grass?
Light: Sun. Soil moisture: Dry.
How do I germinate and establish June Grass from seed?
USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary.
Is June Grass deer and herbivore resistant?
Deer graze the foliage. Even plants described as resistant may be browsed. Use physical protection where deer damage is a concern.
When should I expect June Grass to bloom?
Typical flowering period: Late spring or early summer. Timing varies with location and weather.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Landscape companion selection: Natural Communities compared the growing requirements shown on these species pages with selected source records: Mesic black-soil prairie — Weston Cemetery Prairie — Central Illinois; Blowing sand — Northwestern Illinois — Mississippi River sand deposits. The shortlist is a planting-design inference. A shared record does not establish adjacency, identical soil requirements, local seed origin, or a tested planting combination. Regional synthesis records retain their documented focal-to-associate scope.
Illinois communities & local records: INHS: Loda, Prospect and Weston prairie records; Ebinger et al.: Green River communities (2009).
Native range & ecological ratings: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), via Universal FQA; USACE Chicago FQA (2017); Kew WCVP / Plants of the World Online.
Growing conditions & other references: Illinois Wildflowers, John Hilty; USDA Forest Service: Bouteloua curtipendula; USDA Forest Service: Bouteloua hirsuta; USDA Forest Service: Calamovilfa longifolia; USDA Forest Service: Dalea purpurea; USDA Forest Service: Elymus canadensis; USDA Forest Service: Geum triflorum; USDA Forest Service: Sporobolus heterolepis; USDA Forest Service: Symphyotrichum laeve; USDA NRCS PLANTS; USDA Forest Service: species review.
Wildlife records: Shropshire & Tallamy: caterpillar hosts (2025).
Native range does not identify the origin of the seed or plants offered. Community and wildlife records apply to the locations and conditions described.
Research notes & credits
USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication.
Range data: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 4 June 2026 release, accessed 7 September 2026. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data. This use has no Kew endorsement.
Caterpillar host records: Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025), Lepidoptera of North America, Supplement 1. Contains information from this database made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Natural Communities selected species-level records and screened source qualifications. The complete selection and transformation instructions for this page are available below under the same license.
Community records adapted from Ebinger et al. (2009), Table 1, CC BY 4.0; selected facts reorganized by Natural Communities.
Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.
Caterpillar research records
Plant: Koeleria macrantha
Record scope: Host literature synthesis; no county nativity or local insect occurrence inferred.
Shropshire & Tallamy (2025) · Original research dataset · Reuse license: ODbL-1.0
| Plant names in the source | Source insect record IDs |
|---|---|
| Koeleria cristata; Koeleria macrantha | 201153, 206853 |
| Koeleria macrantha | 204899, 206856, 208878, 210315, 210321 |
How these records were selected
To reproduce this selection, use the “UDELep May 2025” worksheet in the original research dataset.
- Match the insect record IDs above to column A (UDLepID). Within each table row, pair every listed insect ID with every listed source plant name.
- Use the first two words in column H for the insect’s scientific name, column E for its common name, and column AB for its source category.
- Treat the selected pairs as reported caterpillar host records. Keep all other source fields unchanged and outside this selected table. Include no other rows or host pairs.
- Group butterflies and skippers together, and the other categories as moths. Retain the source’s exotic-category labels and sort display names by scientific insect name.
Survey communities: Ebinger et al. (2006), Tables 1–12, Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin. CC BY 4.0; adapted as dated presence lists, with the source’s non-native records excluded from the displayed native lists.
Growing guidance: Illinois Extension — Keeping deer out of the yard and garden. Selected facts in original wording. General deer advice is not a species resistance rating.
Plant Shipping & Care
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Seed Shipping & Care
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