This is a native bluegrass occurring generally throughout the Northern Plains and Western States. It is a bunchgrass reaching to 24 inches under optimum conditions.
Leaves are rather sparse.
The grass starts growth early in spring and matures and dries in midsummer. While green, and even after drying, the foliage is quite palatable, so it is a valuable range grass. Seed germination is usually low. Sandberg is usually seeded in combination with later growing grasses to obtain maximum pasturage over a long season.