Cool and Warm Season Grasses

by Gene Gade

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"THE MORE, THE MERRIER"..."DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS". CLICHES LIKE THESE ARE OFTEN APPLIED TO HUMANS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES, BUT THEY COULD OFTEN BE EQUALLY USEFUL DESCRIBING NATURAL PLANT AND ANIMAL COMMUNITIES.

HERE IN NORTHERN WYOMING, OUR RANGELANDS ARE DOMINATED BY GRASSES AND OTHER PLANTS THAT DEVELOPED IN NORTHERN CLIMATES.  THESE COOL-SEASON SPECIES DO MOST OF THEIR GROWTH IN THE SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER WHEN THE AIR AND SOIL TEMPERATURES ARE LOW.

HOWEVER, ABOUT A FOURTH OF OUR VEGETATION IS MADE UP OF WARM-SEASON  PLANTS SUCH AS THIS BLUE GRAMA AND LITTLE BLUESTEM GRASS THAT DEVELOPED IN TROPICAL REGIONS.

THESE SPECIES DON'T EVEN START TO GROW UNTIL THE SOIL WARMS IN THE SUMMER, BUT THEY CONTINUE GROWING AFTER THE COOL-SEASON GRASSES HAVE PRODUCED SEED AND GONE DORMANT FOR THE YEAR.

HERE ARE A COOL SEASON WHEATGRASS AND A WARM SEASON BLUESTEM GROWING SIDE BY SIDE ALONG A HIGHWAY. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE COOL SEASON SPECIES GREW EARLY AND WAS MOWED OFF WHILE THE WARM SEASON GRASS GREW LATER AND ESCAPED THE MOWER.

HERE ARE A COOL SEASON WHEATGRASS AND A WARM SEASON BLUESTEM GROWING SIDE BY SIDE ALONG A HIGHWAY. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE COOL SEASON SPECIES GREW EARLY AND WAS MOWED OFF WHILE THE WARM SEASON GRASS GREW LATER AND ESCAPED THE MOWER.

I'M GENE GADE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE HELPING YOU UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY OF WYOMING RANGELANDS