I've grown Agropyron magellanicum and cristatum (wheat grasses), but I haven't had any experience with Elytrigia elongata. It definitely would be cold hardy in your area.

I think I'll give it a go with a couple of plants and see how she behaves. My main concern is how aggressively it will reseed. Now I just have to fill out the rest of an order there.

Bill

I know this is an old post, just wondering if anybody has grown this grass in zone 5 and do you like it?

The botanical name is now Thinopyrum ponticum (it was also called Agropyron elongatum).

http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_thpo7.pdf

The history of Jose is here (scroll down to Thinopyrum):

http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/releases/releasesallbysci.html

The term "select" means that it is a wild population that has undergone some selection for desired traits, but it is not quite a "cultivar" (or even a "landrace" for that matter). So "select" isn't really part of the name per se.

It can cross with domestic wheat to yield a perennial grain crop. You can download a 2007 article in Scientific American here:

http://www.landinstitute.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2007/12/10/476071d269717

The image comparing the roots of domestic wheat versus those of Thinopyrum are worth the effort!

I am considering starting some this year; I have no experience with it yet.

I'm also thinking of growing this. It peeves me that I can't find any pics of the grass in summer habit (just the spectacular dried winter habit). Anyone find any pics?

I saw a photo in a book I checked out of the library. It was vertically upright but I think its probably only an attention getter when it has the seed heads. It looked "native" but well behaved. Green leaves, so there was no real interest in the color. I definitely wouldn't shun it. I've checked out so many books I cannot remember which book it was.

Mine grew too well and flopped. It was probably too rich soil and too much rain. It was in a spot I couldn't tolerate flopping (next to a path and against a dwarf blue spruce) so I yanked it before it even changed color in fall which I was trying to hold out for. I suspect Cactusgarden is right about being nothing special until it changes for fall.

Bill