It is a cool-season perennial C3 tufted grass native throughout most of Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa.

[6] It is a principal species in the widespread National Vegetation Classification habitat community MG1 (Arrhenatherum elatius grassland) in the United Kingdom, and so can be found with Arrhenatherum elatius (false oat grass).

[11][12] It is commonly divided into several regional subspecies, particularly by those authors accepting only the single species.

[11] As with other grasses, the pollen can cause allergic rhinitis (hay fever) in some people.

[15] The seeds were first collected by Rogers Parker in Hertfordshire; this was then developed by the agricultural reformer Coke of Norfolk.

[16] Parker's estate, Munden, near Bricket Wood, was inherited by the botanist George Hibbert.