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Common Name: Canadian Wild Rye

General Information

Elymus canadensis is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.75 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

N. America - in most areas except the far south. Recorded, but not yet naturalized in N. Europe[]

Habitat

Dry sandy gravelly or rocky soil[]. Thickets and open woods in limestone and sandy clay soils in Texas[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.75 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils, preferring a sandy soil and a sunny position[, ].
Plants can flower too late to ripen their seed in Britain, especially in the western half of the country[].
A polymorphic species[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[, , ]. It can be ground into a flour and used to make bread. Quite fiddly to use, the seed is small and difficult to separate[]. The seed was an important item of food for the Paiute Indians of south-western N. America[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The plant has an extensive root system and can be used for binding sand dunes[].

Propagation

Seed - sow mid spring in situ and only just cover the seed[]. Germination should take place within 2 weeks.
If the supply of seed is limited, it can also be sown in mid spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in summer[]
Division in spring or summer[]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.