# common soft brome (*Bromus hordeaceus*)

Common soft brome is a grassy plant that grows in fields and meadows. Its soft leaves are fun to touch, and it can sway gently in the wind, making it look like it's dancing!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![common soft brome](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Zachte_dravik_in_bloei_Bromus_mollis.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zachte_dravik_in_bloei_Bromus_mollis.jpg)

## Appearance

The common soft brome is a slender, upright grass with soft, velvety leaves and stems that give it a grayish-green appearance. Its compact, nodding flower heads start green, often developing a purplish tint before turning golden-brown when mature.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Poales
- **Family:** Poaceae
- **Genus:** Bromus

## Interesting facts

- Each tiny seed has a pointy 'awn' that helps it burrow into the soil or hitch a ride!
- It's an amazing survivor, able to thrive in poor soil and even salty conditions!
- Its scientific name, Bromus hordeaceus, comes from Greek words meaning 'food' and 'barley-like'.
- The entire plant feels incredibly soft and fuzzy, almost like touching a plush toy!

## Special abilities

- **Tough Traveler:** Common soft brome has tiny barbed seeds that stick to fur and clothes, helping it hitchhike to new places and spread its territory.
- **Quick Grower:** It can grow rapidly in disturbed areas, quickly establishing itself to outcompete other plants for space and sunlight.
- **Spiky Shield:** Its mature seeds have tiny bristles (awns) that can deter grazing animals from eating them, protecting its future generations.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-80 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) — Young leaves are a food source.
- **Eaten by:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Sparrows forage on its abundant seeds.
- **Eaten by:** Meadow Vole (*Microtus pennsylvanicus*) — Voles graze on stems and seeds.
- **Eaten by:** [Domestic Horse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-horse) (*Equus caballus*) — Common forage grass for horses.

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always be careful when walking in fields, and don't eat any plants unless an adult says it's safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify common soft brome?

Compare seed heads, stem shape, how leaves attach, and the joint where leaf meets stem. A patch of mown lawn rarely shows enough for an exact ID. Grass Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is common soft brome?

20-80 cm

### When does common soft brome bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is common soft brome edible?

No

### Is common soft brome toxic?

None

### What is common soft brome's lifecycle?

Annual

### How is common soft brome pollinated?

Wind

### Where is common soft brome usually found?

Grasslands

## Where to spot

- [San Joaquin Experimental Range](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-joaquin-experimental-range) — California, US · Forest
- [Santa Ana Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/santa-ana-zoo) — California, US · Zoo

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Common Soft Brome: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-soft-brome)