Reed canary grass is native to temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is a cool season grass 3 to 6 feet tall.
Large rhizomes enable rapid spread to form dense patches several yards in diameter.
Agronomists have long been interested in reed canary grass as a forage crop and have developed cultivars palatable to animals. This grass has great tolerance to grazing and regrows rapidly to produce as much as 4 to 8 tons of dry matter per acre in one year. This rapid growth rate makes it useful to stabilize banks after road construction. Reed canary grass is an effective nutrient filter and can remove large amounts of nitrate nitrogen, as reported in New Zealand. It is unclear why it invades only certain wetlands, although nutrient runoff from uplands may increase the plant's growth rates.