Cattail Grass Setaria pumila

Yellow Foxtail is a summer annual grass that is quite weedy. Its natural habits include gravelly areas along rivers, vacant lots, lawns, grassy areas along roads and railroad tracks, fields, pastures.  It is seldom found in natural areas, it prefers full sun with moist to slightly dry conditions in disturbed landscapes as noted above.

The yellow bristles of its immature spikelets, the number of bristles at the base of each spikelet and its straight raceme blooms make this variety of foxtail stand out from other varieties.  Other varieties have green or purple bristles, fewer bristles at the base and nodding panicle blooms.

The 8" long flat-leaf sheaths can range in color from green to greyish-blue.  The 5" raceme of florets sits atop these sheaths.  The immature spikelets are a shiny green and the bristles yellow.  When blooming, the bristles become a tawny color.  At full maturity, the entire spike becomes light tan.

The root system if fibrous on this self-seeding specimen. Varieties and Subspecies, including one on the federal list of noxious weeds, are no longer recognized as distinct from the species. All plants of this species can have weedy and aggressive tendencies. 

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  This plant can become very aggressive, especially in disturbed areas.