Cheat Grass

Bromus tectorum

What is it?

Cheat Grass is a small annual or winter annual, softly short-hairy throughout, generally 1-6 dm tall. Stems are solitary or in a few-stemmed tuft and the roots are fibrous. Reproduction is by seed. Germination occurs in fall to spring, depending on the climate and rainfall. Cheat Grass is native to the Mediterranean region. Introduced into the United States in packing materials and perhaps as a contaminant of crop seeds. By the 1930’s, cheat grass had become the dominant grass over whole counties in the Pacific Northwest and the Inter-mountain area, and the “worst” western weedy range grass.

Why is it a problem?

Dense stands of Cheat Grass on rangeland are highly flammable in late spring and summer after maturation, which usually occurs before native species enter summer and autumn dormancy. Consequently, its presence, in altering the timing and occurrence of range fires, negatively impacts other species. Although it provides forage early in the season, the plants soon mature and turn brown, leaving few competing species for late season forage. Moreover, in drought situations the presence of Cheat Grass causes rapid depletion of soil moisture, thus serving to retard or prevent the establishment of perennial grasses.

Management techniques:

Practices which minimize the further spread of Cheat Grass are suggested:

Vehicles, clothing, camp gear, and pets should be cleaned of adhering seed after driving, camping, and walking in cheat grass-infested areas.
Excessive roadside and rangeland disturbance should be avoided.
In cultivated fields, mowing before seeds are formed and clean cultivation assist in control.
Infested meadows and pastures can be harrowed while seedlings are small. Hand pulling is effective if done before plant goes to seed and roots are pulled completely, however this is a very time intensive practice.
Crown rot, with is adapted to dry soils, may be a potential biological control for Cheat grass in the arid environment of the western U.S.
Only non-selective herbicides are presently available for control of Cheat Grass. Since non-selective herbicides can kill all vegetation they contact, not just the problem weed, care must be taken that they do not contact desirable plants.

What can we do?

Of all control methods, prevention is most important. Maintain healthy pastures and rangeland and continually monitor your property for new infestations. A healthy cover of desirable perennial plants will assist in discouraging Cheat Grass establishment, bare ground is prime habitat for weed invasions.

Entities working on this invasive in the Gunnison Basin:

At this time all land agencies with the Basin are aggressively working to control cheat grass. These agencies include the National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Colorado Weed Management Association.

General Information on Cheat Grass:

Colorado State Extension: