Smooth Brome

Smooth Brome is an introduced, cool season, sod forming, pasture grass.  It is very palatable and nutritious and is a common item in pastures and erosion control efforts that do not require native grasses. It can thrive in lower moisture areas. Smooth Brome thrives in higher altitudes and slightly colder climates and is a mainstay for the Southwest.  It gets used as a “green cover” for areas where a traditional turf is not needed but a general green area that can be mown is appreciated.

Smooth Brome is an agressively spreading grass meaning its sod forming root structure will create a massive amount of roots.  This can be a problem in areas when someone does not want the grass to spread or when there is a high percentage of Smooth Brome relative to other grasses and the Brome roots start to get sod bound (i.e. they produce so many roots that other plants can’t thrive.)  If this is happening in a field, the typical solution is to ‘rip’ the field, opening up bare soil for new root growth to take place.  This aggressive root structure is excellent in erosion control settings.

Common varieties typically available are Manchar (1943), Lincoln (1942), Carlton (1961).