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Native Plant Society of Texas

Buffelgrass

Photo Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org
Photo Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org
Photo Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org
Photo Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org
Photo Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org
Photo Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org
Photo Credit: D. Walters and C. Southwick, Table Grape Weed Disseminule ID, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
Photo Credit: D. Walters and C. Southwick, Table Grape Weed Disseminule ID, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
Photo Credit: Minnette Marr
Photo Credit: Minnette Marr

Cenchrus ciliare

Other Common Names

Buffel Grass

Plant Category

Grass and Sedge

Invasive Description

(Not to be confused with our native Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua dactyloides)). Native to Africa, Asia, and Europe, Buffelgrass is a perennial bunchgrass with erect stems 5-60 inches tall. It can form thick mats or tussocks with dense, usually stoloniferous root systems. The leaf blades are bluish-green in color. Flowers are covered with small spikes or burrs to facilitate seed dispersal by attaching to animal fur or human clothing. Synonym: Pennisetum ciliare

Ecological Threat

Buffelgrass was introduced to the United States in the 1930s as livestock forage. The grass’s rapid growth is dense and crowds out native plants of similar size. It quickly dominates moist areas, resulting in weakening and killing larger desert plants. Dense roots and ground shading prevent germination of competing seeds. It can kill most native plants by these means alone.  It has been identified as the most troublesome weed in Big Bend National Park. It was first introduced in San Antonio in the mid-1940s, and by the mid-1970s, it covered 90% of the seeded rangeland south of San Antonio.  It is considered by some to be simultaneously the most important forage grass in South Texas and an invasive and troublesome weed displacing native species. Buffelgrass is considered the archenemy of the Sonoran Desert– the invasive grass most likely to cause significant damage to the native ecosystem, including the Giant Saguaro Cactus.

Buffelgrass alters the fire regime and creates a fire hazard for infrastructure, animals and people. In desert areas unused to ground fires, it causes a high volume of dry plant matter to accumulate, which can fuel intense fires. Resilience to fire enables buffelgrass to survive and quickly produce new growth after burning, providing fuel for more fires.

You may not want or need to replace this invasive plant, but if you do, options are listed below.

How to Eradicate

For information on how to eradicate this invasive, view our statement on herbicide use and preferred alternatives for invasive plants.

Native Alternatives

You can replace this invasive plant with native alternatives. Here are some plants that make superior replacements.

Match your location on the Texas map to the color squares on the replacement plants below to find suitable replacements for your ecoregion.

Click for more details about the ecoregions
Additional Replacement Options: Native range grasses and forbs

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason