Poaceae

Perennial ryegrass

Lolium perenne L.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Lolium

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.

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) — FlowerPhoto: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (41)

Arabic: زوان معمر, حشيشة الفرس, دنقة, زؤان, زوان, سمة, نصيلة
arz: زوان معمر
Basque: Ingeles llollobelar
Belarusian: Жыцік многагадовы, Жыцік шматгадовы, Ангельскі райграс, Англійскі райграс, Жывіца
Bulgarian: Английски райграс
Catalan: Margall perenne, Margall anglès, Raigràs perenne
Chinese: 多年生黑麥草, 多年生黑麦草, 黑麥草, 黑麦草
Croatian: Višegodišnji ljulj
csb: Wëtrzëmałi pòszczesnik
Czech: Jílek vytrvalý, Anglický jílek
Danish: Almindelig Rajgræs
Dutch: Engels raaigras, Engelsch raaigras
English: Perennial ryegrass, Perennial rye-grass, English ryegrass
Estonian: Karjamaa-raihein, Inglise raihein
Finnish: Englanninraiheinä
French: Ray-grass anglais, Ray-grass commun, Ray grass anglais
Galician: Ballico
German: Deutsches Weidelgras, Ausdauernder Lolch, Englisches Raigras, Ausdauerndes Weidelgras, Dauer-Lolch, Englisches Raygras
hsb: Hładka motawa, Němska motawa
Hungarian: Angolperje
Icelandic: Vallarrýgresi, Enskt rýgresi
Japanese: ホソムギ, ペレニアルライグラス
kab: Aṛaṭiw izirdi
Korean: 호밀풀
kw: Ivren
Lithuanian: Daugiametė svidrė
Macedonian: Обична пијанка, Обична ’ржена трева, Повеќегодишна пијанка, Повеќегодишна ’ржена трева
Nepali: राई घाँस
Occitan: Margalh
os: Бирæазон сысылы
Persian: چچم پایدار
Polish: Życica trwała, Rajgras angielski
Romanian: Zizanie
Russian: Плевел многолетний, Английский райграс, Пастбищный райграс, Пастбищный рейграс, Райграс английский, Райграс многолетний, Райграс пастбищный, Рейграс пастбищный
sco: Windlestrae
se: Eaŋgalasráisuoidni, Eaŋgalsráisuoidni, Eŋgalasráisuoidni, Eŋgelasráisuoidni
Serbian: Обични љуљ, Obični ljulj, Енглески љуљ, Љуљ, Љуљ енглески, Љуљ обични, Љуљ утринац
Spanish: Ballica, Ballico ingles, Ballico inglés, Cesped ingles, Cesped inglés, Raigras, Raigras ingles, Raigras perenne
Swedish: Engelskt rajgräs, Engelskt rajjgräs, Renrepe
Ukrainian: Райграс пасовищний
Welsh: Rhygwellt parhaol

Synonyms

Festuca perennis (L.) Columbus & J.P.Sm.
Hordeum compressum Boiss. & Orph.
Lolium aechicum Rouville
Lolium agreste Roem. & Schult.
Lolium annuum Bernh.
Lolium brasilianum Nees
Lolium canadense Bernh. ex Rouville
Lolium cechicum Opiz
Lolium compressum Boiss. & Orph. ex Nyman
Lolium cristatum Pers.
Lolium felix Rouville
Lolium glumosum Planellas
Lolium gmelinii Honck.
Lolium halleri C.C.Gmel.
Lolium jechelianum Opiz
Lolium latum Roth ex Steud.
Lolium marschallii Steven
Lolium montevidense Rouville
Lolium multiflorum var. ramosum Guss.
Lolium perenne f. aristulatum (Schur) Terrell
Lolium perenne f. microstachyum R.Uechtr.
Lolium perenne subsp. perenne
Lolium perenne subsp. stoloniferum (C.Lawson) Wipff
Lolium perenne subsp. trabutii (Hochr.) Dobignard
Lolium perenne var. angustifolium Parn.
Lolium perenne var. aristulatum Schur
Lolium perenne var. auriculatum Hack.
Lolium perenne var. brasilianum (Nees) Kuntze
Lolium perenne var. commune Alef.
Lolium perenne var. compressum Sibth.
Lolium perenne var. condensatum Schur
Lolium perenne var. confertum Spenn.
Lolium perenne var. cristatum Pers.
Lolium perenne var. furcatum Godr.
Lolium perenne var. geniculatum Hallier
Lolium perenne var. humile Gaudin
Lolium perenne var. longiglume Grantzow
Lolium perenne var. marschallii (Steven) Trautv.
Lolium perenne var. monstrosum G.Sinclair
Lolium perenne var. orgiale Döll

and 27 more.

Flowers

In flower: April to August, November (from 639 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Annual, Perennial
In the US and Canada: Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Greenland: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced, St. Pierre and Miquelon: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Joe Dillon, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Christopher Stephens, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Daniel Heras González, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: samalonsogarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: katunchik, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Yishai Wachsnann, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: marco, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

More in Lolium

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); common names from SimplePlant editors (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.