• Johnsongrass Plant 215x150

Category C Weed

Grass family (Poaceae)

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Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense)

    Stem

    • Up to 8 ft. tall; many tillers arise from crown; stems slightly flattened with prominent nodes

      Leaves

      • Up to 2 ft. long, 0.25-0.75 in. wide, white midvein and mostly hairless except near collar; ligule is membranous and tipped with fine hairs; NO auricles

        Flower

        • Seed head open and pyramid-shaped; purplish-brown at maturity

        • Seed is narrow, less than 0.25 in. long and reddish-brown to black

          Root

          • Deep, fibrous root system; rhizomes are white and fleshy with brown to purple nodes; roots and new plants often form at nodes

            Other

            • Grows best in moist soils; often found in crop fields, pastures, fencerows, roadsides, and along waterways; known to occur in Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral and Nye counties

            • Perennial; reproduces by seed and rhizomes; seedlings resemble corn and can best be identified by pulling a plant and examining the roots for an attached seed

            • Plants can be toxic to livestock after frost or drought

              Control

              • Frequent mowing or tillage is effective; burning is NOT

              • Apply sethoxydim, fluazifop or fenoxaprop to actively growing plants before boot stage, imazapic or flyphosate between boot and bloom stages