The “foxtail” in a Hesperia or Victorville yard is usually not the one national lawn sites describe. Here is which grass it is, when it dries out, and how to get ahead of it.
Get a Free Yard EstimateThe foxtail grasses on High Desert lots are mostly red brome (also called foxtail chess) and Mediterranean grass, two winter annuals that the Mojave Desert Land Trust lists as Mojave invasives. They sprout with winter rain, flower from March to May and dry into fire fuel, so pull and bag them in early spring before the seed heads dry. Cheatgrass is a close relative, but the California Invasive Plant Council places its heaviest spread far north of here.
“Foxtail” is a loose name. People use it for several unrelated grasses with bushy or bristly seed heads, and most foxtail advice online mixes them together. That matters, because the timing for a winter brome and a summer grass is opposite. This page sorts out which one you likely have in the Victor Valley.
It is part of our High Desert weeds guide.
| Grass | Other names | Season | High Desert status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red brome (Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens) | Foxtail chess (Cal-IPC) | Cool-season annual (Cal-IPC) | On MDLT’s Mojave invasives list (MDLT). Cal-IPC says it is spreading rapidly in desert shrublands. |
| Mediterranean grass (Schismus barbatus) | Schismus | Winter annual, starts earlier than most other annual grasses (MDLT) | On MDLT’s Mojave invasives list. |
| Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) | Downy brome | A brome, like red brome | Cal-IPC puts its dominance on the Modoc Plateau and from the eastern Sierra to the Owens Valley (Cal-IPC). We found no source showing it is common on the Victor Valley floor. |
| Setaria foxtails | Foxtail | Summer grass | A separate group of grasses that shares the “foxtail” name. Not on the Mojave invasive list we used, and not covered on this page. |
A simple season check: if the grass is green in February and dry by June, it fits red brome or Mediterranean grass. If it is growing green in July in a watered spot, it is not red brome, which flowers March to May (MDLT). That summer grass is a different plant and needs different timing.
Red brome is a tufted annual grass 4 to 28 inches tall with dense, purplish to reddish-brown tops (MDLT). That reddish color is the easiest way to spot it.
Mediterranean grass is low-growing and starts earlier than most other annual grasses (MDLT).
MDLT also notes that red brome’s barbed seeds lodge in the mouths of desert tortoises (MDLT). As general practice, not something our sources measured, many pet owners check paws, ears and fur after walks through dry foxtail grass. Ask your vet if you are worried about your dog.
No. They are both brome grasses in the genus Bromus, and they look alike enough to get confused, but they are different species. Red brome is Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens (Cal-IPC). Cheatgrass is Bromus tectorum (Cal-IPC).
Where they dominate is different too. Cal-IPC places cheatgrass’s heaviest spread on the Modoc Plateau in far northeastern California and along the eastern Sierra down to the Owens Valley. Red brome is the one Cal-IPC describes as spreading rapidly in desert shrublands, and the one MDLT lists for the Mojave. If you are pulling foxtail in Hesperia, Apple Valley or Adelanto, red brome is the better bet. We could not confirm how common cheatgrass is locally, so we are not saying it never shows up here.
Cal-IPC says red brome increases fire frequency and converts habitat to annual grassland (Cal-IPC). The timeline in the Victor Valley follows the rain:
San Bernardino County’s early spring fire hazard survey lands in the same window (SB County). Getting the brome out while it is still green takes care of both problems at once.
The same fall timing covers Sahara mustard and London rocket, so one application can work on all your winter weeds. For rock and DG beds, see the full timing on our rock and gravel weeds page.
In the desert region of unincorporated San Bernardino County, weeds and grasses must be cut to no more than 4 inches throughout the property if it is less than five vacant or unimproved acres (SB County). Hesperia uses a narrower version: 4 inches within 30 feet of any structure (SB County).
Victorville, Apple Valley and Adelanto run their own programs. Adelanto, for example, treats weeds 12 inches or taller as a violation (City of Adelanto). The full city-by-city breakdown is in our High Desert weed abatement guide.
Most foxtail on High Desert lots is red brome, also called foxtail chess, or Mediterranean grass. Both are winter annuals on the Mojave Desert Land Trust list of Mojave invasives. The name foxtail is also used for Setaria grasses, which are summer grasses and a different plant.
No. Both are Bromus grasses, but red brome is Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens and cheatgrass is Bromus tectorum. The California Invasive Plant Council places cheatgrass dominance on the Modoc Plateau and the eastern Sierra to Owens Valley, while red brome is the one spreading in desert shrublands.
Red brome flowers from March to May, according to the Mojave Desert Land Trust, and then dries out into fire fuel as spring turns to summer. Cal-IPC says red brome increases fire frequency. Clearing it in early spring while it is still green is the safest timing.
Pull and bag the plants before the seed heads dry, cut larger areas to 4 inches or less while the grass is still green, and apply a pre-emergent for winter annuals in late summer to early fall, watered in and following the product label.
In the desert region of San Bernardino County, weeds and grasses must be cut to no more than 4 inches across properties under five vacant acres. In Hesperia the 4 inch rule applies within 30 feet of structures. Other cities, like Adelanto, have their own standards.
We checked every number on this page against the public sources below. If a rule or date changes, the agency page is the final word.
Open dirt grows winter grass. Monarch builds rock, DG and artificial turf yards across the High Desert that leave far less bare ground for brome to take over. We do not do weed spraying or lot clearing. Get a free estimate for the yard you want once it is clear.
Get a Free Yard EstimateOr call (760) 792-7627
