How to Grow and Care for Barleys

Mouse Barley is not an actual cereal grain as its name implies, but instead is a species of grass. It is an important crop in pastures and can provide significant nutrition for foraging livestock. Mouse Barley can grow to 30 cm in height.

Hordeum vulgare or barley is an important cereal grain that's grown globally. It's commonly used in soups, stews, breads, and as a source of malt for alcoholic beverages like beer. The economic value of its trade globally is over $33 billion.

Foxtail Barley (Hordeum jubatum) is a perennial grass that will grow to 61 cm tall. It is a colorful, ornamental grass with arching leaves and feathery flower spikes that are green to pale pink or purple. It blooms from late spring to mid-summer. It grows in full sun in moist to dry soil. It sways gently with the wind to add visual interest to rock gardens and borders.

Sea barley is often found in coastal regions and wet areas, which explains marinum from its Latin name, which means "of the sea". Sea barley is considered invasive in California, USA. The numbers have decreased in Britain due to the increase of arable land and the infilling of ditches and pools.

The plant grows to a height of 30 to 80 cm and has rising stems with a bend in it. The narrow leaves are more or less folded. The tongue is 0.8 mm long. The lower leaf sheaths are rough-haired but the upper bare. The upper leaf sheath is little to slightly inflated and closes tightly around the stem.