Green Foxtail or Bunny Tail

I bought seed for a plant called Bunny Tails. I have written about growing this cute plant from seed before. A comment from a reader made me wonder. Is this the same plant that we used to see in our yards and fields years ago...only now with a new name? Do you remember picking this grass and pulling the little fuzzy top out of the grassy part? Kids would do this and put the stem of the fuzzy tail in their mouths.
While we were waiting for the theater to open a couple of nights ago, we were parked by a government building in Rockford. They have started a perennial garden on the parking lot side. We were sitting there watching sparrows feeding. They would hop on his fuzzy plant (very similar to mine)and sway from their body weight (tiny little things that they are)
to capture the seeds on the top of the fuzzy "flower" They would capture one as their own and have little fights about it. Territorial little creatures. Didn't they know that there were lots of these plants to share? It seemed to be the favorite treat that night.

I came home and the next day I decided to research this plant. No my bunny tails are not the plant that we remember in the fields in our childhood. The sparrows weren't eating the seeds off bunny tails. It was green foxtail that they were munching on. I used to know this name, but I had forgotten.

My husband wondered if all that fuzziness was going to spread around the lawn. He didn't say as much, but I could read his inquiring mind. I don't know the answer to that. My little plants are puffy and full of pollen like seeds. I haven't seen a bird trying to eat them, yet.

All I know is...I love this little plant. It's in some pots so it shouldn't be much of a problem. The wind is blowing today...I can just imagine the little tufts blowing in the wind, scattering their seed everywhere and next year we will wake up to a field of bunny tails in our front lawn. It will sure cut down on the mowing :)

Balisha