Poaceae
Quackgrass
Elymus repens
- Family
- Poaceae
- Genus
- Elymus
Pets and kids
- CatsNot sure
- DogsNot sure
- KidsNot sure
Why
Cats: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Dogs: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Kids: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

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Common names
By language (66)
- Albanian
- Agropiruni zvarrites
- Arabic
- شعير الرمال الزاحف, إنجيل, النجيل الزاحف, حشيشة القمح الزاحفة, نجل, نجم, النجيل العكرش, فيل/ نجير زاحف/ نجم
- Armenian
- Սեզ սողացող
- arz
- شعير الرمال الزاحف
- azb
- سورونن آیریق اوْتو
- Bangla
- ইলাইমাস রেপেনস
- Basque
- Askiluze
- Belarusian
- Пырнік паўзучы, Жытвіц, Ніўка, Пыр'як, Пырнікавая барана, Пырый
- Bosnian
- Pirevina
- Bulgarian
- Обикновен пирей
- Cantonese
- 偃麥草
- Catalan
- Agram prim, Agropyrum repens, Fenàs, Gram
- Chinese
- 偃麦草, 偃麥草
- Croatian
- Puzava pirika
- csb
- Prôwdzëwô òszoc
- Czech
- Pýr plazivý
- Danish
- Almindelig Kvik, Kvik, Kvikgræs
- Dutch
- Kweek
- English
- Quackgrass, Common couch, Couch grass, Dog grass, Quick grass, Quitch grass, Scutch grass, Twitch
- Esperanto
- Kviko, Rampanta elitrigio
- Estonian
- Harilik orashein
- Finnish
- Niittyjuola, Juolavehnä
- French
- Chiendent rampant, Chiendent commun, Chiendent officinal
- frr
- Kweg
- German
- Kriech-Quecke, Gewöhnliche Quecke, Gemeine Quecke, Kriechende Quecke, Kriechquecke
- Hebrew
- גלדן זוחל
- Hungarian
- Tarackbúza
- Icelandic
- Húsapuntur
- Irish
- Broimfhéar
- Japanese
- シバムギ
- Kazakh
- Жатаған бидайық
- Korean
- 구주개밀
- ks
- درَٛمُن
- Kurdish
- Firiz, فرز
- Latvian
- Ložņu vārpata
- li
- Smeelj, Sjmeel
- Lithuanian
- Paprastasis varputis
- lmo
- Canin
- Macedonian
- Пиреј
- Mongolian
- Мөлхөө хиаг
- nap
- Falaska
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Kveke
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- Kveke
- Occitan
- Agram
- os
- Бырæг
- Persian
- گیاه مرغ
- Polish
- Perz właściwy
- Portuguese
- Grama-francesa
- Quechua
- Ch'iki qachu
- Romanian
- Pir târâtor, Chirău târâitor, Chirău târâtor, Chirău tîrîitor, Chirău tîrîtor
- Russian
- Пырей ползучий
- Serbian
- Pirevina, Пиревина, Graminis rhizoma
- Serbian (Latin)
- Pirevina
- sgs
- Varpotė
- Slovak
- Pýr plazivý
- Slovenian
- Plazeča pirnica
- Spanish
- Agropiron repens, Agropyrum repens, Grama canina rizada, Grama de las boticas de Alemania, Grama vulgar de Espana, Grama vulgar de España, Grama vulgar de las boticas, Trigo rastrero
- Swedish
- Kvickrot, Kveg, Vitrot
- Tajik
- Гандумаҷириқ
- Tatar
- Шуышма сарут
- udm
- Ожмонтурын
- Ukrainian
- Пирій повзучий, Пирій
- Walloon
- Påne
- Welsh
- Marchwellt
- wuu
- 偃麦草
- zza
- Samper
Synonyms
- Agropyron altissimum (Schur) Schur ex P.Candargy
- Agropyron junceum var. repens (L.) T.Marsson
- Agropyron maeoticum Prokudin ex Desjat.-Shost.
- Agropyron repens (L.) P.Beauv.
- Agropyron repens var. arenosum (Spenn.) Fiori
- Agropyron repens var. bispiculata Roshev.
- Agropyron repens var. capillare (Pers. ex Peterm.) Roem. & Schult.
- Agropyron repens var. collinum (Opiz) Podp.
- Agropyron repens var. firmum (J.Presl & C.Presl) Rchb.
- Agropyron repens var. imbricatum (Lam.) Roem. & Schult.
- Agropyron repens var. vulgare (Döll) Kneuck.
- Braconotia officinarum Godr.
- Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski
- Elytrigia repens f. aristatum (Schum.) Beetle
- Elytrigia repens var. leersianum (Roem. & Schult.) Prokudin
- Elytrigia repens var. vulgare (Döll) Prokudin
- Frumentum repens (L.) E.H.L.Krause
- Triticum caesium Harz
- Triticum infestum Salisb.
- Triticum repens L.
- Triticum repens f. capillare Pers. ex Peterm.
- Triticum repens f. multiflorum Peterm.
- Triticum repens f. pectinatum R. & O.Schulz
- Triticum repens f. pubescens Döll
- Triticum repens f. viride Marss.
- Triticum repens subsp. arenosum Spenn.
- Triticum repens var. arenosum Spenn.
- Triticum repens var. caesium (J.Presl) Schur
- Triticum repens var. nemorale Fr.
- Triticum repens var. pubescens Döll
- Triticum repens var. sepium Borbás
- Triticum repens var. subulatum (Roem. & Schult.) Nees
- Triticum repens var. vulgare Hook.
- Triticum stenophyllum Asch. & Graebn.
- Triticum subulatum Schreb. ex Schweigg. & Körte
- Zeia repens (L.) Lunell
Flowers
- Flower colour
- yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Graminoid
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Greenland: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, St. Pierre and Miquelon: introduced
Photos

Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Elymus
- Bearded wheatgrassElymus caninusPoaceae
- Siberian wildryeElymus sibiricusPoaceae
- Canada wildryeElymus canadensisPoaceae
- Dahurian wild ryeElymus dahuricusPoaceae
- Slender bearded wheatgrassElymus violaceusPoaceae
- Elymus athericusPoaceae
- Elymus fibrosusPoaceae
- Thickspike wheatgrassElymus lanceolatusPoaceae
- SquirreltailElymus elymoidesPoaceae
- Blue wildryeElymus glaucusPoaceae
- WildryeElymus gmeliniiPoaceae
- Tufted wheatgrassElymus macrourusPoaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.