Planting Trees in Canary Grass

An extremely common question we receive is "I have Canary Grass (or some other thick grass) that I'm trying to plant trees in.    What will grow for me?"

Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is native to temperate Eurasia and North America, but the aggressive, invasive varieties widely seen in the U.S. are generally considered to be European cultivars introduced in the 1800s for livestock forage and erosion control, spreading rapidly in disturbed wetlands and outcompeting native plants.  

Our official answer is this:

The three things that have led to success in planting bare root trees into an area dominated by RCG (Reed Canary Grass) are these:

• Cut and spray the grass before planting

• Use larger/taller trees that can reach above the grass and find the sunlight the first few years.  We carry mostly 3-4' or larger trees so that will certainly help. 

• Use 60" Miracle Tubes to protect the tree and encourage it to grow upward quickly.

Unfortunately we have found that if you skip any of the 3 items above your chances at success go down dramatically (after all - there is a reason nature didn't put trees in that location already).

Good tree options:

These are tree options we have personally gotten to work in RCG areas:

• Hybrid Willows

• Hybrid Poplars

• Red & Silver Maples

• River Birch

• Quaking Aspen

• Red Osier & Silky Dogwoods

• Tamaracks, White Spruce & Black Spruce (though these are conifers and can't be tubed)

A more detailed explanation is as follows:

If you are asking this question you are most likely a deer hunter looking to plant trees into an area dominated by RCG (Reed Canary Grass).

Planting trees in areas dominated by canary grass—especially reed canary grass—is challenging because the grass is aggressive, fast-growing, and highly competitive for moisture, nutrients, and sunlight. Its dense root mat can make digging planting holes difficult and can quickly choke out young seedlings. The tall growth can also shade out newly planted trees, stunt early growth, and increase moisture stress. To improve success, it’s important to control the grass before planting (through mowing, herbicide treatment, or repeated disturbance), maintain a weed-free circle around each tree for the first few years, and consider using tree tubes or weed mats. With consistent management, trees can establish well, but without early competition control, survival rates drop significantly.