Perennial Ryegrass

Lolium perenne

Cool-Season Lawn Grass
Fast to Establish
Used for Overseeding
Tufted, Does Not Spread

Pet & Human Safety

People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Hazardous parts

No hazardous parts found.

Preparation

Lawn grass. NC State Extension and the RHS do not mention toxicity for it, so no source flagged a hazard; this is not a clearance.

Hazard type

Not yet checked.

Hazard route

not applicable

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

No ASPCA page for perennial ryegrass could be loaded, and neither NC State Extension nor the RHS mentions toxicity, so there is no pet-safety verdict. Whether livestock-related ryegrass problems apply was not checked.

PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

Get the app: coming soon

Care

Hardiness zones: USDA zones 3a-8b (NC State Extension). UK RHS hardiness H7 (hardy in the severest European continental climates, below -20 C).
Light: full sun to part shade
Water needs: moderate
Mature size: NC State lists 3 in height and 3 in width (its lawn-height entry). RHS: 0.5-1 m tall (flowering), spread wider than 8 m. Spacing: Grown from seed. NC State Carolina Lawns (mountains): never seeded alone in North Carolina, always mixed with Kentucky bluegrass (60% bluegrass by weight); 2.5 lb seed per 1,000 sq ft for the mix (1.5 lb bluegrass + 1 lb ryegrass).
Family: Poaceae (grass family)
Where it comes from: Europe, Asia and Africa (NC State Extension).