California Oatgrass

Danthonia californica Bol.

Grass family

Plant Type

Graminoid

Life Cycle

Perennial

Mature Height

24 inches

Flower Color

Red

Bloom Time

Mid Spring, Late Spring

Growing Conditions

Light

Shade Tolerance Intolerant

Water

Water Use Medium

Drought Tolerance Medium

Flood Tolerance None

Soil

Soil Types Clay, Loam

CaCO3 Tolerance Medium

Fertility Need Low

Stress Tolerance

Fire Tolerance High

Salt Tolerance Low

Climate

pH Range 6.0 – 7.0

Frost-Free Days 90 days

Precipitation 6 – 40 in

Ecosystem & Wildlife

Pollinators Larval Host (Butterfly); Wind

Larval Host Hesperia columbia, Hesperia lindseyi

Fall Color No

Evergreen No

Native Range

CAN: Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan
USA: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Regional Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.