Native Grasses in the News

Click on the titles to view popular-press articles about California native grasses and other grass curiosities.

Have an article you'd like to see here? Email the Education Program Coordinator, edprogram@cnga.org.

November 19, 2005 - Ancient Grazers: Find adds grass to dinosaur menu "Analyses of fossilized dinosaur feces in India reveal the remains of at least five types of grasses. The finding not only provides the first evidence of grass-eating dinosaurs but also shows that grasses evolved diverse forms much earlier than scientists had previously recognized..."

November 18, 2004 - Native Grass Lawns "...But if you love the wide, green expanse of lawn, you can keep a grass area in your landscape by using low-maintenance, drought tolerant native grasses that contribute positively to the environment....Depending upon the desired effect, native grasses can be mowed as little as annually or as frequently as monthly...Native grasses provide habitat for wildlife and do not require the use of environmentally damaging chemicals....Native grasses, depending on the species, can serve as manicured lawns, be grouped together in grass gardens, or mixed with native bulbs and wildflowers to form a meadow. Some local favorites include:..."

August 23, 2004 - Purple Needlegrass: state grass of California It's official! Nassella pulchra, also known as purple needlegrass, is designated the state grass of California. Here's the text of the law, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger on August 23, 2004.

July 5, 2004 - Bills regarding state grass; invasive species prevention and management "This session, the California Legislature is considering two bills that represent the appreciation of our biological heritage and the preservation of our biodiversity in the future. . .The first, SB1226, introduced by Sen. Michael Machado, D-Linden (San Joaquin County), would name purple needlegrass (or Nassella pulchra, in scientific parlance) the official state grass. The second, AB2631, introduced by Assemblymember Lois Wolk, D-Davis, would develop a statewide plan for the prevention, control and management of invasive species..."

May 15, 2004 - Restoring California's Native Grasses A report of the Agricultural Research Service, the in-house research arm of USDA, features the work of plant physiologist Stephen M. Griffith, of the Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit in Corvallis, Oregon. Griffith presented at the CNGA Annual Conference in Modesto.

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