Alabama Department of Agriculture, Cogongrass
cogongrass damage

Left untreated, cogongrass can severely damage your land investment.

  • Forests and hunting lands are choked out, threatening habitats.
  • Pasturelands are ruined as livestock have trouble eating or digesting cogongrass.
  • The weed is highly flammable, increasing the risk of damaging wildfires.
Cogongrass contaminates machinery

It takes a heavy toll on land management.

  • High silica content in the leaves dulls mower blades.
  • Cogongrass contaminates machinery, clothing, soil and vehicles.
  • It then spreads extremely easily, especially along rights of way.
Cogongrass inhibits other plants from growing

It chokes out naturally occurring species and harms the environment.

  • Cogongrass isn’t native to our area. It’s worse than kudzu.
  • Wildlife can’t eat it.
  • It affects the land on which several endangered species depend.
  • On both state and federal noxious weed lists, it inhibits other plants from growing.
  • It’s devasting to the longleaf pine (our state tree) ecosystem.
  • Again, it’s an extreme fire hazard and contributes to devastating wildfires.
Learn what cogongrass looks like

What can you do?

  • Learn what cogongrass looks like so you can spot it.
  • Actively look for it so you can catch it early.
  • If you see it, don’t try to dig it up yourself.
  • Don’t buy Red Baron Grass (Japanese blood grass), which is just red cogongrass.
  • Talk to professionals who can help create a treatment plan and who are licensed to use chemicals that kill cogongrass.
  • Contact your city council, local extension and others to get the word out.
  • Report cogongrass by calling (334) 240-7225.
  • Report it at https://www.eddmaps.org/
  • Report it using the SEEDN (Southeast Early Detection Network), easily downloadable for Apple® and Android® devices.