Wicked Tuff Turf Reed Canarygrass Seed

Reclaim your wet, flooded, and marginal land — a tough, tall forage and conservation grass that thrives exactly where other grasses drown.

Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) is a cool-season perennial — it grows in the cooler parts of the year and a stand can last 15–25+ years. It is a tall (3–6 ft), aggressive, wetland-adapted grass that is rhizomatous — it spreads by rhizomes (underground stems) into a deep, extensive root network. That network is the point: it anchors soil against erosion and stabilizes stream banks, floodplains, and drainage ditches, and it lets the plant thrive in saturated, seasonally flooded, and waterlogged soils that rot most other forage grasses. Modern low-alkaloid varieties improve palatability for livestock, and the species' enormous yield on marginal ground also makes it a strong biomass and bioenergy crop. Our seed is uncoated and tested for purity and germination.

Key Benefits

•     Thrives in standing water: saturated, poorly drained, seasonally flooded soils.

•     Aggressive erosion control: deep rhizomes anchor banks, floodplains, and ditches.

•     High biomass yield: tall 3–6 ft growth for forage and bioenergy.

•     Livestock-friendlier: modern low-alkaloid genetics improve palatability.

•     Extreme-weather survivor: shrugs off flooding, ice, and brutal cold.

•     Long-lasting: 15–25+ year stands; clean, uncoated seed, no fillers or dyes.

Best Uses

•     Wet pasture and flood-prone field forage

•     Stream-bank and waterway erosion control

•     Floodplain and drainage-ditch stabilization

•     Biomass and bioenergy crop production

•     Marginal and waste-area land reclamation

Important — Plant Responsibly

Aggressive spreader — plant with purpose. Reed Canarygrass spreads vigorously by rhizomes and can become invasive in wetlands and natural areas, crowding out native vegetation. Plant it deliberately on the site you intend, with a management plan to keep it contained, and check your local and state regulations before planting — some regions restrict or prohibit its sale or planting.

Other Important Notes

Surface-sow only — Reed Canarygrass needs light to germinate, so broadcast it on the surface and do not bury it. Expect slow growth the first year while it builds its deep root system, then aggressive spreading by year two. Forage quality declines quickly once the plant matures, so cut at boot to early head stage. This is a tall forage and conservation grass, not a residential lawn or turf.

Why Choose Old Cobblers Farm™?

Every bag of Wicked Tuff Turf seed is selected for high purity and strong germination, and tested so you know what you are planting — consistent, clean, uncoated seed for farmers and land managers reclaiming the toughest, wettest ground.