Virginia Wildrye

Elymus virginicus

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Resapamea stipata, Mythimna unipuncta
S13+S15 2 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Seeds of Elymus are consumed by Gray Partridge, Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Bunting, Tundra Swan, and Chukar. Ducks eat the seedheads and geese feed on the foliage. Persistent seedheads provide a reliable winter food resource for ground-foraging birds.
S57 S61

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in both Canada and the United States (N5/N5). Not listed under SARA. Widespread across eastern North America with abundant herbarium records from both Ontario (903 specimens) and Quebec (249 specimens). Common in Ottawa.
S22 S26 S48 S62
Rarity Ranks: QC SNR – Not Ranked
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Virginia wildrye is characteristic of moist deciduous floodplain forests and riparian thickets, especially along stream banks. It also occupies rocky shores of rivers, cliff bases, marshes, and the upper margins of saline marshes. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region, specimens have been collected along the Rideau River, Ottawa River shorelines, and the Gatineau River on sandy and rocky substrates. It associates with Acer nigrum, Carpinus caroliniana, and Lindera benzoin in rich mesic forests.
S7 S61 S48

Roles: Fortress/Barrier
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: prickl (supporting signal only)]
Notes: Virginia wildrye provides excellent understory structure in rain garden and riparian plantings. Its tolerance of shade, wet soils, and juglone makes it versatile for challenging sites. Pairs well with tall forbs in moist meadow and floodplain guild designs.
S3

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No documented edible uses. Moerman's Native American Ethnobotanical Database records no food uses for Elymus virginicus.
S28