Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)
el-EE-mus hystrix

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Clump-Forming, Slow to Spread in the Poaceae Family
A graceful, shade-tolerant woodland grass named for its distinctive bristly seed spikes, which resemble a bottle brush and add fine texture to native shade gardens from June through August.
Bottlebrush grass is a native, clump-forming woodland grass found in shaded forests and savannas across much of eastern and central North America, including Illinois, where it's common statewide. Its slender flower spikes, held well above the arching foliage, are lined with widely spaced spikelets whose long awns radiate outward in a distinctive bottlebrush shape — green at first, maturing to tan as the seed ripens. Unlike many of its wild rye relatives, it spreads slowly by seed rather than aggressively, typically appearing here and there among other woodland plants rather than forming dense colonies. It's a relatively short-lived perennial, but self-seeds readily enough in good conditions to persist in a planting over time.

Pros

  • Thrives in shade where many ornamental grasses struggle
  • Distinctive bottlebrush seed heads add fine texture to a woodland garden
  • Not aggressive - spreads slowly by seed rather than taking over a bed
  • Good bird-friendly seed source and larval host for woodland butterflies

Cons

  • Relatively short-lived as an individual plant
  • Showy mainly for its seed heads, not for bloom - flowers themselves are inconspicuous
  • Self-seeds, so expect some volunteer seedlings nearby over time
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 36 inches tall. 12 - 18 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Partial Shade
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 3a - 8b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Birds, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Dry, For a Shady Spot, Full Shade, Grasses, Illinois Native, Low Maintenance, Medium, Native to North America, Partial Shade, Perennial, Shade Tolerant, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period June to August
Flower Color Green Maturing to Tan
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Grows well alongside other shade-loving woodland companions such as bigleaf aster, blue-stemmed goldenrod, Short's aster, tall thimbleweed, and Pennsylvania sedge.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 04/13 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!