Grass Identification Field Guide
A field guide to identifying grasses in pasture, covering leaf and seed head features, for producers who need to know what their stand contains.
Download free PDF1 page, US Letter, prints clean in black and white
GuideForages, Pasture & GrazingFree PDF
The steps on this page
- Look at overall growth habit
- Check leaf blade and sheath
- Find the ligule and auricles
- Note vernation in the bud shoot
- Observe seed head type
- Record whether the grass is native or introduced
- Compare against a reference key
- Log species and field
How to use this guide
Read the steps once through before you start, then keep the page nearby while you work. Use the notes lines to add what your own setup needs.
Where to check the details
This sheet is a general template, so confirm specifics with your own manuals, labels and local rules. For current official guidance, start with eXtension and USDA NRCS.
For more in this area, see the beef cattle guides. Between chores, farm.FM has farm humor, including Ranch Solar Leases Promise Easy Money Until Cattle Discover Grass Has Been Outsourced, and farming farm stories.