Green Foxtail
Setaria viridis · Warm-season, Annual, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type (No specific cultivated varieties)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10, highly adaptable to varied temperature extremes.
About This Grass
An annual grassy weed growing 1 to 3 feet tall, featuring distinctive cylindrical, bristly, foxtail-like seed heads. Light to medium green color, coarse texture, often found growing in disturbed soils along walkways and turf edges.
Blade Characteristics
Medium-to-coarse width (4-10 mm), flat, pointed tips, rolled in the bud (vernation), hairless leaf blades with a prominent midvein. Ligule is a fringe of hairs, auricles are absent.
Root System
Fibrous root system with moderate depth, rapid establishment from seed, no significant rhizomes or stolons.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Eurasia, widely naturalized globally in temperate and subtropical regions
Growth Habit
Bunch-type, erect or spreading from the base
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun, moderate to low water needs, highly drought tolerant once established, adapts to a wide variety of poor soils.
Mowing & Maintenance
High maintenance as a weed in turf; persistent mowing below seed head height can prevent reproduction but plants can grow prostrate under regular mowing.
Special Characteristics
Low wear tolerance as an individual bunch grass, highly prolific seed producer, acts as a troublesome weed in lawns and agricultural fields, excellent at colonizing disturbed soils.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America, seeds provide food for various ground-feeding birds and small mammals, commonly managed as an agricultural and horticultural weed.