Fuzzy green grass seed head looks like a caterpillar

Is there such a thing as a cute grass? The mature seed head of the Green Foxtail grass looks and feels like a fuzzy caterpillar or as the name suggests miniature green fox tails. If you happen to be in a park in July you might see clumps of this cute grass on the side of a sandy baseball field and be tempted to pet the grass.

In the United States, Green Foxtail is also known as bottle grass, green bottle grass, green bristle grass, pigeon grass, and wild millet. Lots of birds, deer, rabbits, squirrels and other animals enjoy eating the sweet grass.

Green Foxtail Setaria viridis was introduced originally from Europe, probably as a weed seed mixed in crop seed and in the ballast of ships. The genus name Setaria derives from the Latin seta, meaning "bristle." The species name viridismeans "green."

 

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