False Brome

Brachypodium sylvaticum

a clump of false brome shows green apple color and nodding grass blades

Plant Description

Lime-green perennial grass grows in forest understories and edges. Hairs protrude from the edges of leaves, and fruits are attached directly to the flower stem. Stays green into the winter, only dying back after a hard freeze. It starts as clumps but fills in to create dense mats as the infestation spreads.

Plant Details

Life Forms	Grass or Grass-like
Habitats	Bottomland forests Disturbed sites Forest edges Forest openings Forest understories Forests Little Habitats Mixed hardwood-conifer forests Oak woodlands Parklands Riparian forests Roadsides Woodlands
ODA Listing	B
Soil and Moisture Conditions	Dry to moist
Suggested Actions	Report to Oregon Invasives Hotline Use BMPs to control on private property
Shade Preference	Full shade Full sun Part shade
Mature Height	3'
Distribution	Forests, woodlands, and parks of western Oregon and limited extent in central Oregon.
Control	Clean seeds from gear/shoes/equipment/pets before leaving an infested site to prevent spread to new sites. Dig up small patches of plants before they go to seed. Use an appropriate herbicide to manage larger infestations.
Disposal Methods	Plants without seeds may be composted in a dark compost pile or burned to prevent regrowth. Stems with seeds should be clipped and bagged and disposed of in the municipal waste to prevent spread.
Reproduction and Spread	Reproduces by seed. False brome is commonly found along hiking trails and in parks, especially in the eastern part of Marion County where seeds can be picked up in shoes and spread to new locations. Clean shoes and gear between hikes. Stay on trails and don't drive off of roads.
Introduced	Pakistan, Europe, temperate regions of Asia, mountainous regions of tropical Asia, Northern Africa and Macronesia, first found in Oregon in 1939.
Look Alikes	Columbia brome
Impact	It is highly invasive in shaded Woodlands, open prairies, and roadsides and can out-compete native forest understory and grassland vegetation. It can form a monoculture in forest ecosystems. In commercial forests, false brome creates the perfect habitat for rodents that damage tree seedlings. In oak woodlands false brome can suppress the germination of oak seedlings. It appears to have low palatability for wildlife and livestock. This grass may increase fire risks due to the build up of a heavy layer of thatch.
More Info	https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/weeds/false-brome https://kingcounty.gov/services/environment/animals-and-plants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/false-brome.aspx