How to Identify Grass Flower? What to do With it?

If your lawn starting to produce flowers, and you do not know what to do with it, identifying the plant will be the first step. 

Grass flowers are neither attractive nor much of a benefit to you and your lawn.

Therefore, keep reading till the end to understand the anatomy of grass flowers and what to do with them next.

How to Identify Grass Flowers?

Unlike other plants’ showy flowers with fancy petals, the Grass flower is made of multiple spikelets in the form of inflorescences.

Grass does not go the extra mile to make its flowers fancy to attract insects, as it depends on wind for pollination.

This simple, unshowy grass flower, or florets, is a cluster of multiple spikelets forming an inflorescence.

For easy visualization to understand spikelets, take the example of wheat. So, the spikelet is a cluster at the top of the wheat stem.

Meanwhile, the color of the grass flower is usually green but can be of any color depending on the grass variety and place.

You can identify the grass flowers with the help of flower color and their inflorescence.

Generally, there are three major grass flower inflorescence types: spikes, racemes, and panicles.

1. Spikes

In this type of inflorescence, the spikelets are directly attached to the main axis of the inflorescence.

Here, a stem that is the main axis of the inflorescence is usually known as a rachis, which may or may not have branches. 

Therefore, spike-type inflorescence grass floret has no branches attached to the rachis.

Some grass varieties with spike inflorescence as their floret or flower are Ryegrass, Rice, Cattail Timothy, and Paspalum species.

2. Racemes

The spikelets in the raceme-type inflorescence are present at individual pedicel.

Meanwhile, a pedicel is a small stalk branching out from the main rachis stem of the inflorescence bearing individual spikelets.

In raceme inflorescence, the length of the base pedicel with older spikelets is much longer than other younger pedicels.

Raceme inflorescence-type plants include Rattleweed, Snapdragon, and mustard.

3. Panicles

Also known as compound raceme, panicle-type floret has lateral branches that bear flowers and raceme inflorescences.

A panicle inflorescence is a compound raceme due to lateral branches shooting from individual pedicels of raceme floret.

Meanwhile, panicles have branches of varying sizes and shapes shooting from their rachis.

For example, Indiangrass, River oats, Johnsongrass, and Switchgrass have panicle-type inflorescence.

Why does Grass Produce Flowers?

Like any other plants, grass plants undergo and start producing flowers when reproduction time arrives.

Even though grass flower is simple with no distinct attractive features, grass produces blooms yearly.

Don’t worry if your lawn starts to blossom suddenly, as it is natural.

However, the likelihood of lawn grass producing flowers is low if you mow the lawn often.

Meanwhile, the time and duration of the grass blossoming vary depending on the variety of grass.

Various grass generally produces flowers in the cooler season, i.e., spring or early summer.

Similarly, depending upon the care factors in which grass grows, they take about three months to years to mature and start flowering.

More importantly, flowering leads to the seed formation stage upon successful pollination by winds.

Without external interference, seeds would begin to form and eventually reseed themselves.

And that is how mother nature lets the plant naturally extend its family legacy.

However, water your lawn by 1 inch weekly in winter and 2-3 times in summer.

Should You Let Grass Flower?

Although self-seeding sounds like it will help you with a denser lawn, letting grass produce seeds has different consequences.

And it is the same for grasses as well. So, they focus all of their energy on producing seeds.

While doing so, the grass plant forgets to repair itself or keeps its growth on hold.

It causes the plant to become very weak and pathetic. Giving your plant fertilizer might help them to some extent.

However, discouraging flowering and seed formation altogether sounds more optimal option here.

That said, do not cut the grass too short to prevent flowers. Cutting grass too short causes stress.

Frequently mow your lawn by cutting one-third of the grass’s stem to keep them healthy and discourage flowering. 

Moreover, you can use Citrus oil or vinegar to prevent undesired grasses in your lawn.

Alternatively, Total Vegetation Control and Turf Builder are best for killing such grasses. 

Besides these facts, some ornamental grasses, such as Feather Reed Grass, Fountain Grass, and Little Bluestem, put beauty into your yard.

Additionally, you can let these grasses flower.

Grass Flowers vs. Cosmos Flowers

The astonishing Cosmos belonging to the family Asteraceae are perennial or annual plants growing to 1-7 feet.

Whereas most grasses are perennials with heights ranging from 0.5 inches to 8 feet. Moreover, grasses belong to the family Poaceae.

Cosmos produces a large, showy flower head with individual flowers. However, the inflorescence of grass flowers in racemes, spikes, or panicles.

Flowers of grasses are usually green in color but have other color variations too. For example, white, purple, or yellow.

In contrast, Cosmos flowers appear in shades of pink, white, or orange. 

Cosmos plants carry simple foliage arranged oppositely in the stem, whereas grasses bear long, narrow, and blady leaves with parallel veins.