Downy Broome, Cheat Grass

This plant is listed on the North Dakota invasive/troublesome list and this information is being distributed in a guide developed by the ...Read MoreND Weed Control Association and other agencies.

Plant Features
Winter annual, up to 2 feet tall
Seeds germinate in the fall or early spring
Leaves hairy, flat, sharply pointed, up to 1/4 inch wide and 5 inches long
Drooping seed head. Seed awns up to 1/2 inch long emerging at tip of glumes
Plant rusty red at maturity, roots fibrous

Distribution
Widespread invasive that grows under most conditions
Spreads by seed through contaminated grass seed, hay, farm and construction equipment, and vehicles

Interesting Facts
Very flammable when dry
May hybridize with other annual bromes
Produces viable seed within 2months of beginning spring growth
Similar in appearance to Japanese brome. Japanese brome seed awns do not emerge at tip of glumes

Downy Broome, Cheat Grass Bromus tectorum is naturalized in Texas and other States and is considered an invasive plant in Texas.

This plant is considered a noxious weed in a number of states. This species was introduced from Europe, probably for forage. Bromus is a...Read More large genus of grasses of temperate regions of the world, many cultivated for hay or forage.

They are, at maturity, a serious pest because the pointed, barbed fruits can work into the eyes, nostrils and mouths of livestock, causing inflammation and often serious injury. Sometimes the intestines are pierced and death results.