Japanese Brome is a winter
annual weed, germinating in the fall and growing rapidly in early spring. Japanese
Brome is very similar to Downy Brome (not pictured), and both species are sometimes
called Cheatgrass. Japanese Brome has a more compact seedhead than Downy Brome.
One step in identifying winter annual grasses is to tug on them. Winter annuals
have weak root systems and will come out of the ground easily, while perennial
grasses fight to keep their feet in the ground.
