Johnsongrass (Sorgum halepense)
Description: A tall rhizomatous grass that grows in dense clumps or nearly solid stands. Johnsongrass forms thick aggressive rhizomes and stems that can reach up to 8' in height.
Life cycle: Perennial
Habitat: Occurs in crop fields, pastures, abandoned fields, rights-of-way, forest edges, ditches and wetlands. It thrives in open, disturbed, rich, bottom ground, particularly in cultivated fields.
Leaf: Smooth, lance-shaped with a prominent white mid-vein, 5"-20" long.
Stem: Smooth, pink to rusty red near the base.
Flower: Large, loosely branched, purplish, hairy panicles.
Root: Thick rhizomes (underground horizontal stems) are found close to the soil surface and have purple spots and scales at the nodes. Also has fibrous roots.
The problem is….Johnsongrass spreads aggressively and can form dense colonies, displacing native vegetation.
