Feature: Great American Plants by the NRCS Plant Materials Program
The Bridger, Montana Plant Materials Center in cooperation with the
Montana Agricultural Experiment Station collected streambank wheatgrass along
roadside cuts in Hill County, Montana, and selected this variety for commercial
production in 1971.
Planted on over 740,000 acres for an ecological benefit totaling more than $25 million,
'Critana' streambank wheatgrass has been an outstanding performer for 30 years. The characteristics of
'Critana'-spreading and sod-forming under dryland conditions, easy to establish from seed
in early spring or late fall, and requiring minimal maintenance-make it ideal for erosion
control. In fact, it was selected primarily for stabilizing disturbed sites such as mined
lands, roadsides, recreation areas, and construction sites. It can also be used in seed
mixes to renovate range sites, revegetate land stripped by wildfire, compete with invasive
plants, and provide wildlife habitat.
'Critana' is adapted to medium to coarse textured soils, in the 10 to 20 inch
precipitation zone of the northern Rocky Mountains and adjacent Great Plains regions.
It can grow at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 7,500 feet.
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