Canada Bluegrass


Poa compressa L.
Canada bluegrass is a widely adapted, cool season, non-native, perennial grass. It has many characteristics similar to Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), except for its distinctive blue-green leaf colour and flat leaf shape. It has a role as an early colonizer or pioneer species, especially on disturbed sites with low fertility and moderate acidity.
Its roots are shallow and fibrous, concentrated near the soil surface. The creeping rhizome root system has similar soil-binding characteristics to P. pratensis, but does not form as dense a sod. It has flattened, wiry stems and numerous basal leaves that narrow to a pointed, boat-shaped tip. It can produce seed asexually. Seeds are adapted for short distance dispersal (less than 10 m) and some persistence in seed banks. Seeds do not shatter easily, which assists in easier harvest.