SimplePlant

Poaceae

Sorghum

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Family
Poaceae
Genus
Sorghum

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsMildly toxic
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Mildly toxic

Mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: hydrogen cyanide and hordenine.

Signs: diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, restlessness.

Sorghum: Sorghum bicolor 2005, sep 4 by pethan Botanical Gardens Utrecht University
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Pethan assumed, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Is Sorghum safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Sorghum safe for cats?

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Sorghum safe for dogs?

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Sorghum safe for kids?

No. Our sources call Sorghum mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: hydrogen cyanide and hordenine. Signs: diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, restlessness.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Common names

By language (84)
Afrikaans
Sorghum
Amharic
ማሽላ, ዘንጋዳ
Arabic
ذرة بيضاء, الذرة البيضاء, ذرة أعواد, ذرة بيلي, ذرة رفيعة, ذرة صيفي, ذرة عويجة, ذره بيضاء
Armenian
Սորգո
arz
ذره بيضاء
Assamese
জোৱাৰ
ba
Сорго ике сәскәле
Bambara
Keninge, Nkene
Bangla
জোয়ার
Basque
Basarto
Belarusian
Джансонава трава, Сорга двухколернае, Джугара
Bosnian
Sirak
Breton
Sorgo, Sorgho
Bulgarian
Двуцветно сорго, Култивирано сорго
Cantonese
雙色高粱
Catalan
Sorgo bicolor, Durra
Chinese
高粱, 蜀黍, 有尾髙粱, 罗氏高粱, 高梁, 高梁米糠, 甜高粱, 甜秆
Croatian
Sirak
Czech
Čirok dvoubarevný, Čirok obecný
dag
Kaʒiɛɣu
Danish
Almindelig Durra
Dutch
Sorghum, Kafferkoren, Durra
English
Sorghum, Jowar, Milo, Sudan grass, Broom corn, Common wild sorghum, Kaffir corn
Estonian
Harilik sorgo, Longus sorgo
ff
Dakwumbehi
Finnish
Kirjodurra, Durra
French
Sorgho commun, Sorgho, Sorghos communs, Sorgo, Sorgo commun, Sorgos communs
fur
Sorc di scovul
Galician
Sorgo común
German
Sorghumhirse, Durrha, Faserhirse, Hirse, Kauliang, Sorghum-Hirse, Sorgumhirse, Wilde Mohrenhirse
Greek
Σόργος ο δίχρωμος
Hausa
Dawa, Kas bammi, Makaho da wayo, Masakuwa, Takanɗa, Zabakon ƙaura
Hebrew
סתוויון
hif
Sorghum
Hindi
ज्वार
Hungarian
Cukorcirok
Icelandic
Akurdúrra
Indonesian
Cantel, Gandrung, Sorgum
Italian
Saggina, Sorgo
Japanese
モロコシ, こうりゃん, コウリャン, コーリャン, ソルガム, ソルゴー, モロコシキビ, 蜀黍
Javanese
Kaoliang
kab
Lbecna
Kazakh
Qıtaý tarısı, Қытай тарысы, قىتاي تارىسى
Korean
수수, 고량
kr
Sorghum
Kurdish
Baçîk, باچیک
kw
Sorghomm dewliw
lah
چرھی
Latvian
Parastais sorgo
Lithuanian
Dvispalvis sorgas
Macedonian
Обичен сирак, Алаваџиско просо
mad
Oncèr
Malayalam
ജോവാർ
mnc
ᡧᡠᡧᡠ
mwl
Milho de ls bardeiros
nan
Lôo-sé, Lô͘-sé, Hoan-sé, Hoan-sóe, Huan-sué, Huan-sé, Kau-liâng, Ko-liông
nds
Sorghumheers
Norwegian Bokmål
Durra
Norwegian Nynorsk
Durra
os
Цъылинаг
Persian
سورگوم دورنگ
pms
Surgo
Polish
Sorgo dwubarwne, Sorgo cukrowe, Sorgo murzyńskie, Durra
Portuguese
Milho dos bardeiros, Painço, Sorgo
Punjabi
ਜਵਾਰ
Russian
Сорго двуцветное, Джугара, Майло
Serbian
Obični sirak, Обични сирак
Serbian (Latin)
Obični sirak
sg
Güsüä
Sindhi
ٻہ رنگي جوئر
Slovak
Cirok dvojfarebný
Slovenian
Navadni sirek, Sirek
Swahili
Mtama
Swedish
Durra, Kvastdurra
szy
Balaysan
Tamil
சோளம் சிறுதானியம், சோளம்
Thai
ข้าวฟ่าง
udm
Сорго
Uzbek
Oq joʻxori, Oq jo'xori, Oq jo`xori, Oq jo‘xori, Qo'qon jo'xori, Qo`qon jo`xori, Qoʻqon joʻxori, Qo‘qon jo‘xori
Vietnamese
Cao lương, Cỏ miến to, Miến mía
Welsh
Sorgwm deuliw, Sorgwm
wuu
高粱
Yiddish
זארגעהירזש
za
Megmax

Synonyms

  • Agrostis nigricans (Ruiz & Pav.) Poir.
  • Andropogon afrorum Kunth
  • Andropogon arundinaceus Willd.
  • Andropogon arundinaceus var. effusus Hack.
  • Andropogon besseri Kunth
  • Andropogon bicolor (L.) Roxb.
  • Andropogon caffrorum Kunth
  • Andropogon compactus Brot.
  • Andropogon halepensis var. astolonifer Vanderyst
  • Andropogon halepensis var. congoensis Vanderyst
  • Andropogon halepensis var. kinshasanensis Vanderyst
  • Andropogon niger (Ard.) Kunth
  • Andropogon rubens (Gaertn.) Kunth
  • Andropogon saccharatrus Kunth
  • Andropogon saccharatus (L.) Roxb.
  • Andropogon sorghum (L.) Brot.
  • Andropogon sorghum f. pallidus Chiov.
  • Andropogon sorghum subsp. abyssinicus Piper
  • Andropogon sorghum subsp. effusus (Hack.) Hitchc.
  • Andropogon sorghum subsp. sativus Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subsp. verticilliflorus (Steud.) Piper
  • Andropogon sorghum subsp. vogelianus Piper
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. aristatus Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. badius Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. brevearistatus Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. fragilis Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. fuscescens Burkill ex C.Benson & C.K.Subba Rao
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. glabrescens Busse & Pilg.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. holstii Busse & Pilg.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. japonicus Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. leiostachyus Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. lividus Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. longearistatus Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. niger (Ard.) Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. rubens (Alef.) Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. ruber Burkill ex C.Benson & C.K.Subba Rao
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. rubidus Burkill ex C.Benson & C.K.Subba Rao
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. splendidus Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. submuticus Hack.
  • Andropogon sorghum subvar. sulfureus Busse & Pilg.

and 383 more.

Flowers

Flower colour
brown (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Graminoid
Lifespan
Annual
In the US and Canada
Canada: introduced, Canada: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced

Toxicity: Moderate, as listed by the USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29). USDA rates how toxic a plant is to people or livestock; it is not a pet-safety rating, so ask a vet or poison line if a pet or child ate it.

Photos

More in Sorghum

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.