Rescuegrass

Bromus catharticus

Rescuegrass is a particularly short-lived perennial grassy weed as far as perennials go. This lawn weed is also known as Rescue Brome or its scientific name, Bromus catharticus. It gets its name from its ability to "rescue" animals from winter food shortages.

Identify

Bunch

Membranous

Rolled

Rescuegrass can be described as a perennial grassy weed. Its ligule is tall and rounded with hairs on the back. The sheaths of this lawn weed are strongly compressed and closed, forming a tube around the stem. Rescuegrass also has a broad collar and flat, sparsely hairy blades. During the winter, Rescuegrass thrives in all southern states in North America—and then disappears during hot summer weather. This growth habit allows the lawn weed to provide forage for animals and livestock following severe winters or drought conditions, hence the name Rescuegrass.

Life Cycle

This lawn weed is often found growing in pastures, sports pitches, golf courses, prairies, open fields, roadsides, waste areas, lawns and landscaping. Rescuegrass thrives throughout much of the continental United States. These perennial grassy weeds can germinate and spread from seeds, but they also produce a root structure (tubers, bulbs or corms) that can birth new weeds from your lawn's surface (using stolons) or from underground (using rhizomes). Perennial grassy weeds live two or more years and have a deeper root structure that can give rise to new weeds—even if you no longer see the weeds in your lawn.

Control

Rescuegrass is able to survive in a variety of different habitats and can tolerate cold temperatures and drought conditions. These characteristics make this grassy weed difficult to manage using cultural control methods—such as hand-pulling lawn weeds or proper watering and mowing—especially in colder climates. For effective weed removal, professionally selected and applied weed control treatments are your best bet for eradication.