Yellow Bristlegrass
Setaria glauca
In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in disturbed areas, lawns, fields, less commonly in natural habitats. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you
-30
Harmful
Not native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 82%
- Height
- About 3 feet
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
Do not plant. Listed invasive in Arkansas.
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At a glance
- Life cycle
- Annual
- Bloom
- June to October
- Fruiting season
- Fall to winter
JFMAMJJASOND
Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves
Recorded in 47 Arkansas counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 47 animals.
Widespread birds also seen here (69)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- Alder Flycatcher
- American Goldfinch
- American Redstart
- American Robin
- Bald Eagle
- Bank Swallow
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black-and-White Warbler
- Black-crowned Night-heron
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Brown Creeper
- Brown Thrasher
- Canada Goose
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Cliff Swallow
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Yellowthroat
- Cooper's Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Downy Woodpecker
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Screech-owl
- Eurasian Collared-dove
- European Starling
- Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Gray Catbird
- Great Horned Owl
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Harris's Sparrow
- Hermit Thrush
- Hooded Merganser
- Indigo Bunting
- Lincoln's Sparrow
- Mississippi Kite
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Orchard Oriole
- Osprey
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Pine Siskin
- Prairie Warbler
- Purple Finch
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Red-headed Woodpecker
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Rusty Blackbird
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Song Sparrow
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Tufted Titmouse
- Turkey Vulture
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- White-throated Sparrow
- Wild Turkey
- Wood Thrush
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-crowned Night-heron
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
10CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR
Genus host records with ranges including AR · Setaria
- Amblyscirtes nysaNysa Roadside-Skipper
- Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
- Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
- Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
- Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
- Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
- Lerodea eufalaEufala Skipper, Gray Skipper, Rice Leafroller
- Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
25BirdsRecorded eating Setaria in Arkansas
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Arkansas, most records first.
- Common Ground-dove8 diet records
- SoraSeeds. 7 diet records
- Chipping SparrowSeeds. 5 diet records
- Northern Bobwhite5 diet records
- Horned LarkSeeds. 5 diet records
- Bachman's SparrowSeeds. 3 diet records
- Lapland Longspur3 diet records
- Brown-headed Cowbird2 diet records
- Red-winged Blackbird2 diet records
- American Pipit2 diet records
Show all 25
- Bobolink2 diet records
- Field SparrowSeeds. 2 diet records
- House Sparrow2 diet records
- Mourning Dove2 diet records
- Smith's Longspur2 diet records
- Vesper SparrowSeeds. 2 diet records
- American RobinSeeds. 1 diet record
- Canada GooseSeeds. 1 diet record
- Chestnut-collared Longspur1 diet record
- Common Grackle1 diet record
- Eastern BluebirdSeeds. 1 diet record
- Eastern KingbirdSeeds. 1 diet record
- European Starling1 diet record
- Greater White-fronted GooseRoots. 1 diet record
- Song SparrowSeeds. 1 diet record
Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
Birds that eat Setaria 25
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.
- Common Ground-doveColumbina passerina
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
- Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
- Horned LarkEremophila alpestris
- Bachman's SparrowAimophila aestivalis
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
- Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
- Field SparrowSpizella pusilla
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
- Smith's LongspurCalcarius pictus
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Chestnut-collared LongspurCalcarius ornatus
- Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula
- Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Song SparrowMelospiza melodia
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Poaceae
- Soil pH
- Acidic to neutral
- Flower color
- White
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Growth habit
- Grows in clumps
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- Fall
- Fruit ends
- Winter
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “June to October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “White” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Winter” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Grows in clumps” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Height · “About 3 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Life cycle · “Annual” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Setaria glauca
Conservation status
| Arkansas rank | Not available |
|---|---|
| Global rank | GNR |
| AR status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- USDA PLANTS
- Arkansas occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications