Nodding Brome
Bromus anomalus

Family: Poaceae

This is a cool-season, tufted, non-rhizomatous perennial grass growing 1-3’ tall, with somewhat glaucous (bluish) foliage, with attractive large brome seed heads that hang down from the spike head.

Part to filtered sun, best with regular irrigation. Fully cold hardy in our region.

This is considered a great forage species, and is eaten by many animals.

The Tarahumara in northern Mexico sometimes use the grains of Bromus species to aid fermentation in making tesguino.

Bromus is from Greek bromo, for stinking, while anomalus means unusual or confusing or different from what is expected. There are 174 species of Bromus native in temperate regions of the world, including Africa, North America, Australia and Eurasia.

Bromus anomalus typically grows in temperate areas. Its native range is through Central America to the southern United States, from Panama up to Arizona and Texas on rocky slopes in woodlands and forested areas from 2,000-5,000’.

Photo by Stephen Hale, SEINET
Bromus anomalus on iNaturalist