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Integrated Crop Management
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Foxtail barley

Foxtail barley                                  Hordeum jubatum L.

Family:  Poaceae                                                             
Life cycle:   Perennial, short-lived
Native status:  NativeHabitat:  Waste areas, small grains                          

General description:  Bunch grass, bluish green, reaching heights of 20 inches.   Short, membranous ligule, leaf sheaths and blades usually smooth.

Key ID traits:  Awns 1 to 2.5 inches long; seedhead a nodding spike up to 5 inches long.  Terminal spikelets fall off spike resulting in a shortening of the seedhead as it matures.

Similar species:  Foxtail barley is frequently called squirreltail, although there is a different plant with that common name (Elymus elymoides).

Miscellaneous:  Awns of mature plants can cause severe injury to eyes and mouths of grazing animals.  Tolerates saline soils.

Leaves of foxtail barley
Leaves of foxtail barley are erect and often have a bluish-green cast.
dense batch of Foxtail barley
Foxtail barley is usually found in dense patches in areas with little competing vegetation and management efforts.
Long awns of foxtail barley
An otherwise non-descript plant, the long awns are what captures people's attention.
Mature foxtail barley seed
Seed mature from the end of the spike and drop off, thus the spike of foxtail barley becomes shorter with maturity.
Authored by:
Bob Hartzler
Bob Hartzler
  • Retired Weed Scientist and Professor of Agronomy
Dr. Bob Hartzler is a former professor of agronomy and a former extension weed specialist with a Ph.D. in Crop Physiology from Iowa State University. He conducted research on weed biology and how it impacts the efficacy of weed management programs in corn and soybean. Dr. Hartzler also taught undergraduate classes in weed science and weed identification.
Meaghan Anderson
Meaghan Anderson
  • Field Agronomist in Central Iowa
Meaghan Anderson is a field agronomist in central Iowa and an extension specialist at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Areas of expertise include weed management, weed biology, cover crops, corn and soybean management, and integrated pest management.
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