Barbed Goat Grass

Barbed goatgrass is an invasive annual grass with long, spiky awns that get caught in eyes and mouths of livestock and wildlife. It threatens rangelands, grasslands, and oak woodlands in Oregon. Native to the Mediterranean region, barbed goatgrass establishes dense monocultures that displace native grasses and wildflowers, reducing biodiversity and habitat quality for wildlife. Its barbed seeds are easily spread by animals, vehicles, and equipment, aiding its rapid expansion across disturbed and undisturbed sites alike. Barbed goatgrass is particularly problematic because it reduces forage value for livestock, alters fire regimes, and can hybridize with cultivated wheat, posing risks to agriculture. Once established it is very difficult to control, making early detection and rapid response essential for preventing its spread in Oregon landscapes.