Reed canarygrass grows well on poor soils and contaminated industrial sites, and researchers at Teesside University's Contaminated Land & Water Centre have suggested it as the ideal candidate for phytoremediation in improving soil quality and biodiversity at brownfield sites.
Also noted at the site are green figwort, Brooklime speedwell, wild angelica, opposite-leaved golden saxifrage, green alkanet, reed canarygrass, giant hogweed, bishopweed, celandine, and Himalayan balsam.
Adults and larvae are vegetarian and polyphagous, on grasses such as couch-grass (Elymus repens), false oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius) and reed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea).