meadow barley
Hordeum brachyantherum
USDA zones4 to 10
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall
- Habit
- Grass/grass-like
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Green , purple , brown
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Meadow barley (Hordeum brachyantherum) is a grass for low maintenance beds, meadow plantings, and woodland edges. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun and dry to wet soil of most types. It grows 24 to 36 inches tall, tolerates drought and salt, and draws butterflies. Deer tend to browse other plants first. The green, purple, and brown blooms appear in spring, summer, and autumn.
Pairs well with Bluejoint, Small camas, Rocky mountain iris, and Alpine hair grass.
Native range
AK, AZ, CA, CO, and 26 more places. See all 30
AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, IL, IN, MD, ME, MO, MS, MT, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, UT, WA, WY; AB, BC, NL, QC, SK, and YT.