Annual Canarygrass seed is similar to oat in mineral composition. The caryopsis is higher in ash, oil, and phosphorus but lower in fiber than concentrations common in corn, pea, or fieldbean. Canarygrass caryopses have higher concentrations of all eight essential amino acids than does wheat or corn, and are higher in sulfur-containing amino acids than pea or fieldbean. In spite of this encouraging nutritional profile, the value of canarygrass in human food has not been adequately explored. Although heads of both crops are panicles, annual canarygrass heads are spike-like and resemble club wheat.
Most cultivars tiller profusely and lodge when soil fertility and moisture is plentiful.
The compact, oval-shaped panicles retain seed firmly so that shattering losses are usually small. The plant grows 36 in. It is generally considered a cool season crop with areas of adaptation similar to hard red spring wheat. Canarygrass has shown sensitivity to high temperatures which are common in May and June, and yields are substantially reduced under these conditions. It is more sensitive to heat and less drought tolerant than wheat.