Bromus sterilis
Poverty brome
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Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Bromus sterilis (Poverty brome) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by extremely long straight awns and open inflorescence.
Poverty brome is a naturalized annual grass found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range foothills, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, southern Channel Islands, southern California coast, western Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges at elevations below 1,100 meters in open, disturbed areas. Flowering from March to June, this grass produces pale green to light brown spikelets 20 to 35 millimeters long in loose, open branching clusters. Growing 25 to 85 centimeters tall with ascending to nodding branches, it has hairy leaf sheaths and blades 2 to 5 millimeters wide. Its lemmas have straight awns 15 to 30 millimeters long and 1 to 3 millimeter teeth, giving the spikelets a distinctively delicate and slightly bristly appearance. The plant is particularly adaptable to disturbed landscapes, spreading readily in open ground with its prolific seed production.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 34 sympatric species; extremely long straight awns and open inflorescence are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 1100 m
California counties: San Diego, Kern, Alameda, Calaveras, El Dorado, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Monterey, Orange, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Yolo, Napa, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Shasta, Ventura, Mendocino, Yuba, Nevada, Amador, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Sutter, Siskiyou, Sierra, Santa Cruz, Plumas, Marin, Lake, Del Norte, Butte, Placer, Sonoma, Solano, Madera, Contra Costa, Tehama, Glenn, Trinity, Fresno, Lassen, San Mateo, Alpine, Santa Clara, Sacramento, San Benito
Outside California: to British Columbia, eastern North America, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Bromus sterilis blooms Mar-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Nassella: Bromus has closed leaf sheaths and large spikelets; Nassella has open sheaths and needle-like awns.; vs Hordeum: Bromus has separate large spikelets; Hordeum has three spikelets grouped at each node.; vs Avena: Bromus lemmas have two teeth at tip; Avena lemmas have a twisted awn from the back.; vs Lolium: Bromus spikelets are stalked in clusters; Lolium spikelets sit edgewise against the stem.; vs Festuca: Bromus leaf sheaths are closed; Festuca sheaths split open halfway down.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bromus sterilis native to California?
No. Bromus sterilis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Bromus sterilis bloom?
Bromus sterilis blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Bromus sterilis grow?
Bromus sterilis occurs in San Diego, Kern, Alameda, Calaveras, El Dorado, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Mariposa and other counties, at elevations of < 1100 m.
What plant family does Bromus sterilis belong to?
Bromus sterilis is in the Poaceae family, genus Bromus.
What habitat does Bromus sterilis grow in?
Bromus sterilis grows in Open, disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.