Medicinal Monday - Couch Grass

Elymus repens or couch grass is a very common species of grass that was brought to North America from Europe for forage and erosion control. It has become naturalized throughout most of the world and is considered to be an invasive weed because it becomes entangled with the roots of shrubs and perennial plants, slowing down their growth.  Native American communities did find several interesting medicinal uses for this pesty plant.

About Couch Grass

This grass grows by creeping rhizomes that enable it to spread rapidly across grasslands. It is native to Europe, Asia, and Northwest Africa and belongs to the Hordae genera of the Poaceae or grass family. This grass grows up to three feet high and has spikes that bloom from June to August and look like wheat or rye. The leaves are dark green and alternate with sheaths. The blades are long and narrow and the veins are parallel. The smooth pale yellow roots are long and trailing with each joint creating a shoot that becomes grass. It prefers soil with a good water supply and is rich in nitrogen. It can be found in pastures, fields, weedy meadows, edges of yards and gardens, and along roadsides.

Practical and Medicinal Uses

Most often many Native American communities made tea from the roots to treat bladder problems. The Cherokee made a decoction of the root and used it to wash swollen legs, they also took an infusion to treat upset stomachs, continence, and bedwetting. The Iroquois made a decoction of the roots and used it to dispel worms from the body and as a urinary aid. The apache used this grass for hay and ate the seeds for food. The Okanagan-Colville used this plant over and under food when cooking in a pit. The Gosiute used the seeds as a source of food and ate them like cereal. The roots were cooked and are said to be quite sweet.

Did You Know...

Other names for couch grass are dog grass, quick grass, wheat grass, quack grass, twitch grass, and witch grass.

The genus name, Agropyron is from the Greek word agros meaning field and puros meaning wheat.

In America, it is considered a weed but in some regions of Europe and Asia it is used as fodder for livestock.

It has been used as a natural remedy to treat kidney stones.