Red top: A delicate-looking, perennial grass. Flowered spikelets grow on branches toward the top of the stem in a reddish-brown to purplish cluster. Long leaves grow along the stem - tapering to a point; these are sheathed around the stem at their base. The lower surface of each leaf is smooth; the upper surface is hairy and rough. Flowering occurs from June to September. Widely distributed across North America. Grows wild in fields, in low places, and along roadsides and is widely cultivated as part of a grass mixture for lawns and pastures. Native to Europe.