Botanical Name: Pleuraphis jamesii
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Common Name: Galleta, Curly grass  
Plant photo of: Pleuraphis jamesii
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Ground cover, Perennial, Grass

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Green, Light Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam, Rocky

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish, Native Garden, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Lawn, Parking Strip

 

Special Uses

Erosion Control, Lawn Alternative, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: wrong picture

  • Description

  • Notes

A low growing (3 to 20 inches tall), rather coarse grass, growing as an open sod or in small bunches. Spreads by rhizomes and seeds. Seed spikes are purplish to straw-colored, and usually flower in the spring. Leave blades are narrow, and soft green turning to straw when dry or dormant. Use for a meadow or informal lawn area; mixes well with side and blue grama, sand dropseed, and buffalograss for a low-water lawn. A warm-season grass, it is dormant during the cooler parts of the spring, fall, and of course, during the winter. A Utah native.
Galleta will grow in a variety of soils, from coarse to fine, and even clay soils. It tolerates heavy foot traffic and a lot of trampling. Spreads through rhizomes and seed. Mowable, but set the mower as high as possible, ideally between 4 to 6 inches. According to USU, it provides excellent erosion control for in semi-desert conditions. Syn. with Hilaria jamesii. Full sun.