Velvetgrass: What Every Gardener Should Know About This Widespread Grass
If you’ve ever run your fingers across a patch of soft, velvety grass and wondered what it was, you might have encountered Holcus, commonly known as velvetgrass. This perennial grass has made itself quite at home across North America, despite originally hailing from much further away.
What Is Velvetgrass?
Velvetgrass (Holcus) is a perennial grass that’s become one of the most widespread non-native plants in North America. True to its name, this grass has a distinctly soft, velvety texture that sets it apart from many of our native grasses. It’s part of the larger grass family and forms characteristic tufted clumps that can spread over time.
Where You’ll Find It
Here’s where things get interesting – velvetgrass has managed to establish itself virtually everywhere in North America. From Alaska down to Puerto Rico, and from coast to coast, this adaptable grass has found a way to thrive in an impressive range of climates and conditions.
The Non-Native Reality
While velvetgrass might look innocuous enough, it’s important to understand that this is a non-native species that has naturalized throughout our continent. Originally from Europe and parts of Asia, it was introduced to North America and has since reproduced and persisted on its own in the wild.
This doesn’t necessarily make it bad, but it does mean it’s not providing the same ecological benefits that our native grasses offer to local wildlife, pollinators, and soil communities.
Should You Plant Velvetgrass?
Here’s the thing about velvetgrass – while it’s not typically considered highly invasive, it’s also not the best choice for gardeners who want to support local ecosystems. As a wind-pollinated grass, it offers minimal benefits to pollinators compared to native alternatives.
If you’re looking for that soft, attractive grass texture in your landscape, consider these native alternatives instead:
- Buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides) for drier regions
- Fine fescue species native to your area
- Native sedges (Carex species) for similar texture and appearance
- Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) for ornamental grass gardens
Growing Conditions and Care
If you already have velvetgrass on your property or choose to work with it, here’s what you should know about its growing habits:
Velvetgrass is remarkably adaptable, which partly explains its widespread distribution. It can tolerate a variety of soil conditions and generally prefers areas with adequate moisture. The grass is hardy across USDA zones 3-9, making it suitable for most temperate climates.
Once established, velvetgrass requires minimal care but can be persistent – sometimes more persistent than you might want. It spreads through both seeds and vegetative growth, so keep this in mind if you’re trying to manage its presence in your landscape.
The Bottom Line
Velvetgrass is one of those plants that gardeners encounter more often than they plant intentionally. While it’s not inherently harmful, choosing native grasses for your landscaping projects will better support local wildlife and create more resilient, regionally appropriate gardens.
If you’re dealing with existing velvetgrass, you can certainly work with it, but consider gradually transitioning to native alternatives that will provide greater ecological benefits while still giving you that attractive grass texture you’re after.
