Barnyardgrass is a summer annual grass that germinates from late winter or early spring to through the summer. It is found throughout in most of the United States and inhabits agricultural land and other disturbed areas. Barnyardgrass characteristics are highly variable from plant to plant. The genus Echinochloa is a very widespread genus in the grass family. Japanese millet is in this same genus.
Disturbed moist places, roadsides, ditches, irrigated crop fields, pastures, orchards, vineyards, landscaped areas, and margins of ponds and rice fields.
Mature plants grow up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and are highly variable in appearance. Stems are flattened near the base. Leaf blades are flat, rolled in the bud, and the upper surface is usually hairless. The leaf sheath is usually open and more-or-less flattened. Barnyardgrass is closely related to junglerice and looks similar, except it does not have the distinctive purple bands of junglerice leaves. It also looks similar to late watergrass a plant that is generally only is found in rice fields.
Flowers bloom from June through October. They range from 2-1/2 to 10 inch (6.4–25.4 cm) long and consist of branches densely clustered with knot like flowers. Upper branches are stiff and stand erect to somewhat erect from the flowering stem. Lower branches spread farther apart than the upper branches. The flower head is held erect or droops and is sometimes purplish.
Uses
Wildlife: Used for waterfowl, who consume the seed. Forage can be grazed.
Grow Height | Cold Tolerance | Minimum Rainfall |
Planting Rate Acre |
1-3′ | Low | 30″ | 7-12 lbs. |
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