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Description

Cereal rye is a cool season annual grass that grows 3-5’ tall. It can be used throughout Texas on most soils as winter annual forage for wildlife and livestock, for erosion control, or as a cover or nurse crop. 

Cereal rye is an extremely hardy plant with a fibrous root system that has the ability to utilize excess nitrogen left in the soil from previous crops. It can be used as a nurse crop for other slow to establish perennials, particularly if an autumn or winter seeding of warm-season species is required as on newly constructed rights-of-way. It has also show good utility to stabilize burned areas following summer wildfires. Cereal rye can provide excellent temporary erosion control in winter and spring, and typically does not attract deer as readily as other cool-season small grains and cover grasses.

For more information: Cereal Rye Plant Guide from USDA NRCS