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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Home / Terrestrial Invasives / Terrestrial Plants / Johnsongrass

Johnsongrass

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Johnsongrass
Johnsongrass, infestation - Photo by Bonnie Harper-Lore; Federal Highway Administration
Scientific Name: 
Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. (ITIS)
Common Name: 
Johnsongrass, Johnson grass, Aleppo grass, Aleppo milletgrass
Native To: 
Mediterranean Region (Howard 2004)
Date of U.S. Introduction: 
Early 1800s (Warwick and Black 1983)
Means of Introduction: 
Introduced for forage (Howard 2004)
Impact: 
Agricultural weed that can cause serious economic losses (Howard 2004)

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) - Johnsongrass
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

Images

Google Images - Johnsongrass
Google.
Invasive.org - Johnsongrass
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Videos

YouTube - Johnson Grass Management - Tips from a Wildlife Biologist

Google. YouTube; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Johnsongrass.

Partnership
Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the U.S. - Fact Sheet: Sorghum halepense

USDA. APHIS. PPQ. Center for Plant Health Science and Technology; California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Global Invasive Species Database - Sorghum halepense (grass)
IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States - Johnsongrass
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Invasive Species Compendium - Sorghum halepense
CAB International.
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER) - Sorghum halepense
USDA. FS. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry.
Take Action - Johnsongrass

United Soybean Board.

Texas Invasives Database - Sorghum halepense
TexasInvasives.org.
The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area - Johnson Grass

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).

Weeds Australia - Johnson Grass (Sorghum halepense)

Centre for Invasive Species Solutions; Atlas of Living Australia; Australian Government. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

Federal Government
Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) - Sorghum halepense
USDA. FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fire Sciences Laboratory.
PLANTS Database - Johnsongrass
USDA. NRCS. National Plant Data Center.
U.S. National Plant Germplasm System - Sorghum halepense

USDA. ARS. National Genetic Resources Program. GRIN-Global.

State and Local Government
Invasive Species Leaflet - Sorghum halepense (Mar 2010) (PDF | 197 KB)
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Forest Service.
See also: Forest Health Publications for more Invasive Species Leaflets
Class A Noxious Weed: Johnsongrass
Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.
Encycloweedia: Data Sheet - Sorghum genus
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
See also: Included on California's noxious weed list; see Encycloweedia: Program Details for additional resources
Field Guide: Invasive - Johnson Grass
Missouri Department of Conservation.
See also: Problem Plant Control (scroll to Invasive Plants section) for more information to help you identify and control most common invasive plants in Missouri
Invasive Plants in Pennsylvania: Johnsongrass (PDF | 589 KB)

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for plant species (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and aquatic plants) that have impacted the state's natural lands

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense)

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Noxious Weed Species - Johnsongrass

Colorado Department of Agriculture. Conservation Services Division. Noxious Weed Program.

Academic
Johnsongrass Control in Field Crops and Commercial Vegetables (Feb 2019) (PDF | 242 KB)

University of Delaware. Cooperative Extension.

See also: Weed Management Guides for more species

Johnsongrass (2018)

Mississippi State University. Extension.

Biology and Management of Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) (Feb 2017)

University of California. Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Invasive, Exotic Plants of the Southeast - Johnsongrass
North Carolina State University. Cooperative Extension. Going Native: Urban Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants.
Ohio Perennial & Biennial Weed Guide - Johnsongrass
Ohio State University. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Citations