Agrostis gigantea Redtop is a common grass used in both lawns and pastures. It is a perennial grass that makes coarse, dense turf. Named for its reddish flowers, Redtop has been planted across the US, Canada, Europe and its native Eurasia. Beyond the lawns and pastures, it grows in areas with moist soils such as meadows, and fresh and brackish tidal marshes. It is widespread throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed where it was reported as far back as 1837. In the mid 1800s, it likely arrived with dry ballast (rocks and soil used to weight sailing vessels) but its been spread widely through intentional planting and agriculture. On the West Coast, it first appeared along the Columbia River in 1902, The US Department of Agriculture calls it one of the most adapted grasses and it is used in restoration projects for erosion control, stabilizing river and ditch banks, and covering strip mine soils.