1658 in W. M. Myddelton (1908) 78 Paid..his gardiner that came with sparrowgrasse plants.
c1700 T. Houghton in (1906) XV. 170 The side of the dwelling house which looks toward the sparagrass beds.
1794 R. Kirwan (ed. 2) I. 28 Sparrow grass green—pale yellowish green with a mixture of grey and brown.