Description

Elymus condensatus, giant rye, is found along the coast and in coastal mountains in much of California. The ‘Canyon Prince’ is thought to be a possible hybrid between E. condensatus and Elymus mollis, a smaller coastal species. It was introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and has proven an excellent native grass for the garden. The blades are wide and waxy green. The seed head is attractive, but generally rare. ‘Canyon prince’ does well in a sunny location with little supplemental water, but can be encouraged to spread by underground rhizomes with additional water. As with many ornamental grasses, ‘canyon prince’ has a better appearance if it is cut to the ground every few years to stimulate fresh growth.