Roadsides, lawns, and disturbed ground; trails in forests and clearings; shores and stream banks. Early introduced from Europe; abundant, and first collected as early as 1838 in Jackson Co.

Occasionally rooting at the nodes, and appearing stoloniferous. The nerves of the lemma are normally villous basally, especially the keel, but occasionally they are nearly or quite glabrous. This clearly prefers cool seasons in southern Michigan especially, becoming scarce in the heat of summer, but reappearing as the weather cools in the fall.