Barnyard Grass
Echinochloa crus-galli · Warm-season, Annual, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Grass Category
Weed Grass / Invasive Weed / Forage in some regions
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (no specific named agricultural cultivars for turf use)
Hardiness Zones
Thrives globally across USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 10, highly adaptable to warm and temperate climates
About This Grass
An erect, coarse annual grass growing up to 2 to 5 feet tall. Stems are thick, sometimes branching at the base, often tinged with purple. Forms loose clumps with very prominent, branching, pyramidal panicle seed heads that are green or purplish
Blade Characteristics
Coarse texture, blades are flat, wide (6-15mm), hairless, smooth with a prominent midrib, lacks ligules and auricles
Root System
Fibrous root system, relatively shallow to moderately deep depending on soil moisture, establishes rapidly from seed
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical and temperate Asia, now naturalized globally throughout temperate and tropical regions
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump-forming) annual, does not spread via rhizomes or stolons
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun, high water needs, often found in damp soils, ditches, and over-watered turf, poor drought tolerance for the individual plant though prolific seed production ensures survival
Mowing & Maintenance
Not maintained as a lawn grass; acts as a weed in turf requiring hand-pulling, selective herbicides, or proper pre-emergent control
Special Characteristics
Low wear tolerance when subjected to frequent mowing, poor salt tolerance, highly prolific seed producer capable of invading thin lawns, agricultural fields, and disturbed wetlands
Ecological Information
Introduced weed in North America, provides occasional food source for waterfowl and upland birds, but generally considered a noxious agricultural weed in crop fields like rice and corn