It is a short-lived perennial, adapted to humid areas with mild winters. Plants reach up to 3 feet, with leaves up to a foot long and about 0.25 inch wide. Young plants are pubescent, but mature plants are sparingly so. Growth occurs throughout the winter, the plants becoming mature in early summer. On strong soils, a good amount of forage palatable to livestock is produced.
Seed is produced in quantity, and stands are readily obtained by seeding.