Cheat-grass

Bromus tectorum

Found in disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

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

Profile 65%

Height: In contrast, where moisture, fertility or light intensity are not limiting, cheatgrass plants may produce 12-15 culms, 20 to 30 inches tall, bearing hundreds of spikelets [307,438].
Light: Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to wet

Bromus tectorum — fruit photograph — (c) zebedeugalinha, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Bloom: April to June

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 78 Virginia counties.

Habitats

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there. All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

16CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Bromus

Amblyscirtes vialisCommon Roadside-Skipper, Black Little Skipper
Anatrytone loganDelaware Skipper, Logan Skipper, Black-Vein Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
Apamea sordensBordered Apamea, Rustic Shoulder-Knot
Cercyonis pegalaCommon Wood Nymph
Cisseps fulvicollisYellow-Collared Scape Moth
Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
Hesperia leonardusLeonard's Skipper, Blazing Star Skipper, Pawnee Prairie Skipper, Pawnee Montane Skipper
Leucania insuetaDarted Wainscot, Heterodox Wainscot
Leucania phragmitidicolaNeedle Wainscot, Phragmites Wainscot

Show all 16

Leucania pseudargyriaFalse Wainscot
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Polites corasPeck's Skipper, Yellow-Patch Skipper
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Elachista illectella
Gonioterma mistrella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

11BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

Alectoris chukarChukar
Anser albifronsGreater White-fronted Goose
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow
Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Perdix perdixGray Partridge
Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling

Show all 11

Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-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

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Height · “In contrast, where moisture, fertility or light intensity are not limiting, cheatgrass plants may produce 12-15 culms, 20 to 30 inches (50-75 cm) tall, bearing hundreds of spikelets [307,438].” · Fire Effects Information System: Bromus tectorum · Source botanical description; original units and scope retained
Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Dry; Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Cheat grass; Chess; Downy Brome; Downy Cheat; Downy Chess

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

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