Seed identification - Ask Extension
Our dogs will eat these seeds like candy if we let them. Can you tell us what they are?
Knowledgebase
Seed identification #877738
Asked July 18, 2024, 8:24 AM EDT
Our dogs will eat these seeds like candy if we let them. Can you tell us what they are?
Deschutes County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi John, Are you able to send a better image of the seed including a close-up and of the entire plant so we can identify it and further assist?
Thank you, Amy. I'm attaching pictures showing the plant with seeds (thin grass stalks), loose seeds blown together by the wind, and a closeup of a ripening seed head. Thanks for checking. Malcom 
Hi Malcom, This platform makes it difficult to enlarge the photos you sent, but it almost looks like there may be two types of grasses in the photos. One appears to be Bottlebrush Squirreltail and the other is a type of ryegrass often used as a restoration grass or for erosion control. It would be best to bring them into our plant clinic here in Redmond for positive identification. Here is some information on the above two mentioned:
https://azinvasiveplants.arizona.edu/sites/azinvasiveplants.arizona.edu/files/2024-01/Bottlebrush%2Bsquirreltail.pdf
https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/grasses-and-grasslikes/bottlebrush-squirreltail
I cannot id to species for the wild rye one using these photos but here is some basic information: https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/canada-wild-rye
Feel free to call with additional questions
https://azinvasiveplants.arizona.edu/sites/azinvasiveplants.arizona.edu/files/2024-01/Bottlebrush%2Bsquirreltail.pdf
https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/grasses-and-grasslikes/bottlebrush-squirreltail
I cannot id to species for the wild rye one using these photos but here is some basic information: https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/canada-wild-rye
Feel free to call with additional questions
