Alternate name: Freshwater Cordgrass

Family: Poaceae, Grass view all from this family

Description A tall grass, with stiff, widely spaces flowering branches, the entire flower culater reaching well above the leaves.
Flowers: tiny, lacking petals, stamens 3, styles 2, not easily visible; enclosed in rough, papery scales, each one with a short bristle at tip. Arranged in tight rows along 2 side of the flowering branches, like the teeth of a comb. Flowering branches 1/2—4 1/2 (2—11 cm) long; widely spaced along top part of main stalk.
Leaves: 11—50” (30—120 cm) long, very rough along edges.
Fruit: a small grain.
Height: 1 1/2—7’ (0.5—2.5 m).

Flower July—September

Habitat Wet prairies, shores, roadsides, salt marsh edges.

Range Maine to Washington, south to Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, and Oregon.

Discussion This is one of our tallest grasses and is probably the species that gave rise to Midwestern settlers’ accounts of grass higher than a horse’s back. Prairie Cordgrass is one of the dominants of the tallgrass prairie, growing mainly in low, wet areas. The species name derives from the Greek word pecten (“comb”), referring to the appearance of the plants flowering branches. Also known as Sloughgrass.