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Johnson Grass

Sorghum halepense

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in fields, pastures, roadsides, waste places, cultivated fields. A serious weed, difficult to eradicate. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

-55
Severe harm

Not native to Louisiana. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
About 3.5 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
See native alternatives

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Louisiana.

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Eastern Narrowleaf Sedge
    Carex amphibola

    Sun: Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun. Soil: Somewhat dry to average. Flowers: Green.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

  • Broomsedge
    Andropogon virginicus

    Sun: Part shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to average. Flowers: Yellow.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

  • Bitter Panicgrass
    Panicum amarum

    Sun: Full sun. Soil: Dry to moist. Flowers: Pink.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

Refine these alternatives in the finder

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At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
April to December
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 59 Louisiana parishes.

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.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 89 animals.

All wildlife of Louisiana

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

32CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Sorghum

  • Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
  • Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Amblyscirtes hegonPepper and Salt Skipper
  • Anatrachyntis badiaFlorida Pink Scavanger Caterpillar
  • Anatrachyntis rileyiPink Scavanger Caterpillar
  • Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
  • Diatraea crambidoidesSouthern Cornstalk Borer
  • Dicymolomia julianalisJulia's Dicymolomia
Show all 32
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Feltia repletaReplete Dart
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
  • Lerodea eufalaEufala Skipper, Gray Skipper, Rice Leafroller
  • Leucania subpunctataWhite-Dotted Wainscot, Forage Armyworm
  • Metaponpneumata rogenhoferiMetaponpneumata Moth, Rogenhofer's Sallow
  • Mocis disseveransYellow Mocis
  • Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Nastra lherminierSwarthy Skipper
  • Nola cereellaSorghum Cutworm, Sorghum Webworm Moth, Sorgham Webworm Moth
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
  • Spodoptera albulaWhite-Spotted Armyworm, Gray-Streaked Armyworm
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Astala confederata
  • Blastobasis graminea
  • Phidotricha erigens
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
23BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Sorghum

  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Anser caerulescensSnow Goose
  • Antigone canadensisSandhill Crane
  • Branta canadensisCanada Goose
  • Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
  • Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
  • Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
  • Columba liviaRock Pigeon
  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow
Show all 23
  • Corvus cryptoleucusChihuahuan Raven
  • Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
  • Dendrocygna autumnalisBlack-bellied Whistling-Duck
  • Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
  • Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
  • Quiscalus majorBoat-tailed Grackle
  • Quiscalus mexicanusGreat-tailed Grackle
  • Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
  • Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken
  • Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Hardiness
Zones 6a–10b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Brown/copper
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNA
Global rankGNR
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources