Cheatgrass

Eastern Washington

Cheatgrass in the Columbia Wildlife Refuge

Cheatgrass - Bromus tectorum

Cheatgrass or Bromus tectorum is an invasive weedy annual that sprouts fall through spring, grows rapidly in dense expanses, and produces tons of seeds that are easily recognized as they poke into socks by the hundreds while walking through it. This plant generally outcompetes native bunchgrasses as it sucks moisture and nitrogen from the soil, and eventually produces hot wildfires resulting in sterile burns well-suited for its rapid spread and ultimate dominance.

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A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.
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