
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.

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.

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.

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.