Poaceae

Johnson grass

Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Sorghum

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Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) — FlowerPhoto: Jo Roberts, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (34)

Arabic: سورغم حلبي, الجراد, جرو, حشيش الفرس, سفرندة
Armenian: Մոլասորգո
arz: سورغم حلبى
azb: قانقورودان
Belarusian: Гумай, Джонсанава трава, Сорга алепскае
Bulgarian: Балур
Catalan: Sorgo d'Alep
Chinese: 假高粱, 詹森草, 亚刺伯高粱, 琼生草, 石茅, 约翰逊草
Croatian: Piramidalni sirak
Czech: Čirok halabský
Dutch: Wilde sorgo
English: Johnson grass, Johnsongrass, Great millet
Finnish: Jonsonindurra
French: Sorgho d'alep
German: Aleppo-Mohrenhirse, Wilde Mohrenhirse
Greek: Βέλιουρας
Hebrew: דורת ארם-צובא
Hungarian: Fenyércirok
Japanese: セイバンモロコシ
Kannada: ಗಲಗು
Kazakh: Құмай
Malagasy: Ampembimbazaha
Marathi: बोरू
nv: Akál
Persian: چائیر
Punjabi: ਬਰੂ
Russian: Сорго алеппское, Гумай, Джонсонова трава
Spanish: Sorgo de Alepo
Swedish: Ogräsdurra
Tajik: Ғумай
Tamil: கருப்பன் புல்
Ukrainian: Сорго алепське, Гумай
Welsh: Sorgwm porthiant
xmf: Წალამია, Გუმაი, Ჯონსონიშ ოდიარე

Synonyms

Andropogon avenaceus Kunth
Andropogon crupina (Link) Kunth
Andropogon decolorans (Willd.) Kunth
Andropogon dubitatus Steud.
Andropogon dubius K.Koch ex B.D.Jacks.
Andropogon halepensis (L.) Brot.
Andropogon halepensis subsp. anatherus Piper
Andropogon halepensis subsp. muticus (Hack.) Piper
Andropogon halepensis var. anatherus Piper
Andropogon halepensis var. effusus Stapf
Andropogon halepensis var. genuinus Stapf
Andropogon halepensis var. muticus (Hack.) Asch. & Graebn.
Andropogon miliaceus Roxb.
Andropogon miliformis Schult.
Andropogon sorghum subsp. exiguus (Forssk.) Piper
Andropogon sorghum subsp. halepense (L.) Hack.
Andropogon sorghum subsp. halepensis (L.) Hack.
Andropogon sorghum subvar. genuinus Hack.
Andropogon sorghum subvar. leiocladus Hack.
Andropogon sorghum subvar. muticus Hack.
Andropogon sorghum subvar. trachycladus Hack.
Andropogon sorghum var. exiguum (Forssk.) Piper
Andropogon sorghum var. halepensis (L.) Hack.
Andropogon sorghum var. perennis Bertoni
Andropogon tumbuckianus Roxb. ex Kunth
Blumenbachia halepensis (L.) Koeler
Holcus decolorans Willd.
Holcus exiguus Forssk.
Holcus halepensis L.
Holcus sorghum subsp. exiguus (Forssk.) Hitchc.
Milium halepense (L.) Cav.
Rhaphis halepensis (L.) Roberty
Sorghum crupina Link
Sorghum decolor P.Beauv.
Sorghum decolorans (Willd.) Roem. & Schult.
Sorghum dubium K.Koch
Sorghum halepense f. halepense
Sorghum halepense f. muticum (Hack.) C.E.Hubb.
Sorghum halepense var. coloratum Goiran
Sorghum halepense var. crupina (Link) Steud.

and 14 more.

Flowers

In flower: April to November (from 470 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced

Toxicity: Slight, 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

FlowerPhoto: Jo Roberts, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Daniel Cahen, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Linda Jo Conn, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Daniel VILLAFRUELA ., CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Patrascu Lucian-Marius, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Monteiro Henrique, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Yishai Wachsnann, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Robert Webster, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Nikolay S, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: lanechaffin, CC0, from iNaturalist

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.