Is this grass good for lawns?

Generally no, as it is an annual that dies back and leaves unsightly patches.

How do I get rid of it?

Mow it before it goes to seed to prevent it from spreading.

Plant guide

Soft brome.

Bromus hordeaceus

Pronounced BROH-mus hor-dee-AY-see-us

Also known as Barley Brome, Barley Brome, Soft Brome, Lesser Soft-Brome, Lop Grass, Soft Brome, Soft Chess, Soft-Brome

Soft brome is a common annual grass often found in fields and along roadsides. It is known for its soft, hairy texture and nodding flower heads. You will see it pop up in disturbed areas during the spring and summer months.

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Grass
Light: Full sun
Indoor light: Direct sun
Water: Every 3 to 7 days
Mature size: 30 to 80 cm
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 4 to 9
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer

Care

This grass thrives in full sun and well drained soil. Keep an eye out for excessive dryness if you are growing it in a container. It is quite hardy and usually takes care of itself in natural settings.

Watering: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
Feeding: Apply a balanced fertilizer sparingly during the active growing season.
Pruning: Trim back dead foliage after the plant finishes flowering to keep it tidy.
Repotting: Repot only if the roots become severely pot bound.
Soil: Well drained sandy or loamy soil
Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.5
Temperature: -15 to 35°C
Humidity: 30 to 70%

Safety

People: This plant is not known to be toxic to humans.
Children: The sharp, dry seed heads can be irritating or cause minor scratches if handled by small children.
Contact allergens: The rough hairs on the leaves and stems can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Airborne allergens: The windborne pollen can trigger seasonal allergies in susceptible people.
Edibility: The seeds are technically edible but are not considered a food crop and may be difficult to process.

How to identify it

Softly hairy leaf blades
Nodding panicle flower clusters
Spikelets with distinct awns
Annual growth habit
Tufted base structure

Height: 0.1 to 0.8m
Spread: 0.1 to 0.3m
Leaves: green, gray-green, deciduous
Flowers: green, tan, 1 to 10cm

Problems to watch for

Rust · Fungal infection causing orange or brown pustules on the leaves.

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

Check your soft brome from a photo

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: spring, fall

Plant it in meadows where you want to encourage natural succession rather than formal garden beds.

Grows well with

Common Yarrow · They share similar light and moisture requirements in meadow settings.

Similar species

Cheatgrass · It is a closely related invasive grass that also thrives in disturbed areas.

Science

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Bromus
Order: Poales
Class: Liliopsida
Native range: Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa.
Conservation: It is considered an invasive weed in many parts of North America and Australia.

It thrives in disturbed habitats and open grasslands by producing large quantities of seeds that germinate easily.

Value to wildlife: larval host plant, seed source for birds
Pollinators: bees
Uses: erosion control, wildlife habitat, forage

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 7/9
Temperature: 5/9
Moisture: 4/9
Nutrients: 3/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is this grass good for lawns?: Generally no, as it is an annual that dies back and leaves unsightly patches.
How do I get rid of it?: Mow it before it goes to seed to prevent it from spreading.

Where the name comes from

The genus name Bromus comes from the Greek word bromos, meaning a type of oat, while the species name hordeaceus refers to its resemblance to barley.

Good to know

It is often called soft brome because of the fine hairs on its foliage.
It is an annual grass that completes its entire life cycle in one season.
It is highly adaptable to various soil types including poor, sandy, or clay soils.

Keep your soft brome growing

This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.

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This guide was generated with AI on October 19, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.