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Arizona
Range Grasses Back to the Table of Contents
Description Growth habit: Small perennial bunchgrass 1 to 2
feet tall, closely resembling blue grama. Occurrence Reported from all counties except Apache, Coconino, Maricopa, and Yuma. It grows mostly from 4,000 to 6,500 feet but occasionally at lower elevations.
Forage Value Hairy grama is one of the most nutritious of the grama grasses, comparing very favorably with blue grama. It cures well and though not as nutritious as blue grama after curing, it still is one of the most important Arizona range grasses.
Ranges with a large amount of hairy grama should in most cases be used primarily for fall, winter, and spring grazing. Although the grass is most palatable and nutritious during the summer grazing season, heavy use at this time weakens the plants and reduces the stand. Further, the curing quality of this grass makes it better suited than most grasses for use when dormant. Adjacent areas, where grasses that cure poorly predominate, should be grazed during the growing season.
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Extension,College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of
Arizona