Foxtail Barley

As fields of grain ripen across PEI, you may have noticed a similar, though smaller, plant growing along roadsides, coastlines, and trails. Although this plant hangs out in human habitats and looks like it may have escaped from farms or gardens, it’s actually a native species: meet Foxtail Barley (Hordeum jubatum).

Like our agricultural grains, Foxtail Barley is a member of the grass family (Poaceae). It’s in the same genus as the commercial Barley you may enjoy in breakfast cereal, soups, beer, or whiskey, but Foxtail Barley has much smaller seeds, making it impractical to use as a food.

This grass thrives in our habitats because it’s one of the Island’s ruderal species: plants that naturally prefer disturbed areas. Before the arrival of agriculture and development, Foxtail Barley was found in saltmarshes and along sandy shores – areas that see regular change thanks to tides and coastal erosion.

The adaptations that helped Foxtail Barley rapidly colonize coastal areas also allowed it to follow human development inland. High tolerance to salt and drought means this grass doesn’t mind runoff from winter road salt, nor the often hot and dry conditions along roadsides. High seed production means Foxtail Barley can rapidly colonize newly exposed soil. And those long, feathery structures – called ‘awns’ – on the seed head not only help the seeds be carried by wind, but also have barbs that allow them to hitch-hike on passing animals, both wild and domestic.

Those awns deter wild animals from eating the seeds: imagine biting into the botanical equivalent of barbed wire. Unfortunately, the awns can be a serious problem for domestic animals, especially Dogs. If one or more awns get stuck in a Dog’s fur, the barbs can cause it to work its way down to – and into – the skin. Bacteria carried on the awn can lead to infections and abscesses; awns that get into the eyes, nose, mouth, or ears can be even more problematic. Regardless of where they’ve entered, removing embedded awns often requires surgery.

I avoid Foxtail Barley when out with my Dogs. If I suspect they’ve been in contact with it, I’ll do a careful inspection and brushing to remove any awns, with extra attention paid to ears, face, paws, and undersides. Foxtail Barley is a beautiful and amazingly well-adapted native plant, but I don’t need my boys to get into this part of PEI Untamed!