Yellow Foxtail
Setaria pumila · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass, Pasture/Forage, Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type / Common yellow foxtail
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9, highly adaptable to diverse temperature ranges across temperate and subtropical zones.
About This Grass
An upright annual grass growing from 1 to 3 feet tall with coarse texture. Characterized by dense, cylindrical, foxtail-like seed heads with bristly golden-yellow to tawny awns. Foliage is medium green, often with purplish tinges near the base.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are flat, medium-coarse in width (4-10 mm), smooth or sparsely hairy near the base on the upper surface. Vernation is rolled in the bud. Ligule is a fringe of hairs. Auricles are absent.
Root System
Fibrous root system, moderately deep for an annual, establishes quickly from seed, does not form a dense turf or sod.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe and Asia, now widely naturalized throughout North America, temperate and tropical regions globally.
Growth Habit
Bunch-type, erect or somewhat spreading, growing in loose clumps, reproducing entirely by seeds.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun, moderate to low water needs once established, good drought tolerance, adapts well to various well-drained soil types with pH ranging from acidic to alkaline.
Mowing & Maintenance
High maintenance if treated as a weed in turf (requires regular mowing, pre-emergent herbicides); low maintenance if left unmanaged in waste areas. Tolerates low mowing but survives by setting seed close to the ground.
Special Characteristics
Low wear tolerance as a single plant, high seed production capacity, moderate drought resistance, acts as an aggressive agricultural and turf weed, excellent at colonizing disturbed soils.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America, provides minor food source for ground-feeding birds and small mammals via seeds, acts as a pioneer species in soil stabilization on disturbed ground, can become invasive in agricultural fields.