Reed canary grass is a large, coarse grass that reaches 2 to 9 feet in height.
Blades are flat and have a rough texture on both surfaces.
The lead ligule is membranous and long. Single flowers occur in dense clusters in May to mid-June. They are green to purple at first and change to beige over time. This grass is one of the first to sprout in spring, and forms a thick rhizome system that dominates the subsurface soil. Seeds are shiny brown in color.