The Grass Guides: Timothy

Name: Timothy (Phleum pratense)
Life cycle: Cool-season perennial
Native to: Eurasia
Uses: Pasture and hay
Identification: Bluish-green ribbed leaves with a cylindrical seed head and a corm, or bulb, just above the roots.

Timothy is a good perennial grass that can survive harsh winters and wet soils better than most cool-season grasses. Most often grown for hay, timothy produces high yields at first cutting, but slow regrowth results in low yields thereafter. Timothy is not normally recommended for pasture because it has poor grazing tolerance.

In northern states and Canada, timothy is productive for four to five y