FORAGE IDENTIFICATION Alfalfa Medicago sativa L. Winter Hardiness Very High Drought Tolerance Bloat Hazard Yes Hay, silage, pasture, green manure crop. Northern half; increasing acreage in the Southeast 15-36 inches
Alsike Clover Trifolium hybridum L. Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Bloat Hazard (acts as Biennial) High Fair Yes Pasture, hay; best suited to poorly drained sites. Upper Midwest and North Central Pacific States. 12-36 inches.
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii Vitman Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance High Bunchgrass with or without rhizomes. Warm High-yielding, warm season pasture and hay. Great Plains and Midwest. 3-8 feet.
Birdsfoot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus L. Very High Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Fair Bloat Hazard No Complements Kentucky bluegrass; low seedling vigor; ID-139. Upper Midwest and Northeast. 15-44 inches.
Tall Fescue Festuca arundinacea Schreb. Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Medium Fair Bunchgrass with tendency to form tight sod. Fair High-yielding, cool season pasture (include legume with mixture), hay, soil conservation; AY-98 and AY-258. Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. 24-48 inches.
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance High Sod, Rhizomatous. Warm High-yielding, warm season pasture and hay. Great Plains and Midwest. 4-8 feet.
Kentucky Bluegrass Poa pratensis L. Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Very High Sod, Rhizomatous. Poor Low-yielding, cool season pasture and turf; excellent quality, but low yields. Throughout North America; most important in the northeastern quarter 12-40 inches.
Korean Lespedeza Lespedeza stipulacea Maxim Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Bloat Hazard Summer Annual High -- Fair Warm No Late summer pasture or hay; must reseed itself annually to persist. Southeast 2-34 inches.
Orchardgrass Dactylis glomerata L. Winter Hardiness Medium-High Fair Bunchgrass Drought Tolerance Distribution in Fair High-yielding, cool season pasture and hay (withstands 4 cut system with alfalfa). Midwest, Northeast, and Northwest. 24-48 inches.
Ryegrass Lolium perenne L. Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Annual or Very High - to F Bunchgrass Poor Low to mediumyielding, cool season pasture, hay and turf; quick establishment. Primarily in the southeast and the Northwest. 12-24 inches.
Red Clover Trifolium pratense L. Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Bloat Hazard (acts as Biennial) High Fair Yes Excellent pasture renovation crop, short-term hay crop. Eastern half and Northwest. 12-36 inches.
Reed Canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea L. Low Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Sod, Rhizomatous. High-yielding, cool season pasture (immature stages only), hay, soil conservation; AY- 60. Northern half. 24-72 inches.
Smooth Bromegrass Bromus inermis Leyss Very High Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Sod, Rhizomatous. Medium to highyielding, cool season pasture and hay (no more than 3 cut system when legume included), soil conservation. Northern half; most prevalent in upper Midwest. 20-40 inches.
Sudangrass Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench Summer Annual High Winter Hardiness None Drought Tolerance Bunchgrass Warm Supplemental warm season pasture, greenchop, silage and hay; AY-196. Throughout the Maximum of 15 feet.
Yellow and White Sweetclover Yellow: Melilotus officionalis (L.) Lam. White: Melilotus alba Desr. Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Annual or Biennial Medium -- to Bloat Hazard Yes Green Manure crop, forage for bees, Hay, pasture, silage; sweetclover disease can be a problem Great Plains and Midwest. 18-60 inches (yellow); 24-84 inches (white).
Switchgrass Panicum virgatum L. Medium Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance Bunchlike, short rhizomes. Warm High-yielding, warm season pasture and hay, wildlife cover. Great Plains and Midwest. 3-6 feet.
Timothy Phleum pratense L. Winter Hardiness Drought Tolerance High Bunchgrass Poor Medium to highyielding, cool season pasture and hay (no more than 3 cut system with legume included). Upper Midwest and Northeast. 20-40 inches.