A key identifying characteristic of the vegetative stage is its relatively large, jagged-edged, me… In 1830, johnsongrass was introduced to the United States as a forage crop. Under certain conditions, notes Noble Foundation ag consultant Chad Glidwell, it can kill your cattle. In the home landscape, digging up and bagging the grass clumps can be an option but any broken off tillers (roots) … This grass grows in open forests, old fields, ditches, wetlands, and disturbed sites. An upright perennial, it often grows 6 to 8 feet tall (Figure 1). It can be used whole in a similar manner to rice or millet, or it can be ground into a flour and used as a cereal in making bread, cakes etc. But on the bright side, Glidwell says, "it is excellent forage if you can get over the fact that it can kill your cattle!" Nowadays, you’ll find it in many parts of the world, crowding out desirable plants, destroying food and shelter for wildlife, and causing trouble for farmers and ranchers. Few wildlife species use Johnson Grass and it will outcompete native vegetation. Propagation of Johnson Grass: For stocker operators in the Southern Plains and into the Midwest, johnsongrass can be a mixed blessing. Plant Control:Johnson Grass can be difficult to control. Johnsongrass is well adapted to compete with crop plants and to spread to new areas. Edible parts of Johnson Grass: Seed - raw or cooked. It spreads by roots and seeds transported by animals and people. It has wide leaves with thickened whitish midribs; its panicles (seed heads) are open (Figure 2), and the many branches support thousands of spikelets from which seeds are readily shattered. Other uses of the herb: The plant is a potential source of biomass with yields of up to 19 tonnes per hectare.