Common Wild Sorghum: A Lesser-Known Grass with Limited Garden Appeal
If you’ve stumbled across the name common wild sorghum in your plant research, you’re looking at Sorghum bicolor arundinaceum de—a rather obscure member of the vast sorghum family. While its more famous cousin, grain sorghum, feeds millions around the world, this particular variety remains something of a botanical mystery in gardening circles.
What Exactly Is Common Wild Sorghum?
Common wild sorghum is an annual grass that belongs to the Poaceae family—the same group that includes your lawn grass, wheat, and corn. Like other sorghums, it’s a sturdy, upright grass that can handle tough conditions, but this particular variety has earned the wild part of its name honestly.
This plant goes by quite a few scientific names, which tells you something about how botanists have struggled to pin it down over the years. You might see it listed as Sorghum aethiopicum, Sorghum arundinaceum, or several other tongue-twisting variations.
Where Does It Call Home?
Here’s where things get interesting (or concerning, depending on your perspective). Common wild sorghum isn’t actually native to North America. It’s what botanists call a naturalized species—meaning it was introduced from elsewhere but has figured out how to survive and reproduce on its own in the wild.
Currently, you can find this grass growing wild in California, Florida, and Puerto Rico. That’s a pretty limited range for a plant that’s supposedly wild, which might make you wonder just how well it’s actually doing out there.
Should You Grow Common Wild Sorghum?
Here’s the honest truth: probably not. And here’s why:
- Limited information available about its garden performance
- Unknown invasive potential (always a red flag with non-native grasses)
- Unclear wildlife and pollinator benefits
- Better native alternatives readily available
As an annual grass, common wild sorghum would need to be replanted each year or allowed to self-seed. Given that it’s already established wild populations in three states, allowing it to self-seed might not be the most responsible choice—especially without knowing its invasive potential.
Native Alternatives That Actually Shine
Instead of gambling on common wild sorghum, consider these fantastic native grasses that offer proven garden performance:
- Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) – gorgeous fall color and excellent wildlife habitat
- Purple three-awn (Aristida purpurea) – delicate, airy texture perfect for naturalistic designs
- Buffalo grass (Poaceae dactyloides) – drought-tolerant and low-maintenance
- Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) – tall, showy, and beloved by birds
The Bottom Line
Common wild sorghum falls into that tricky category of plants that aren’t necessarily bad but aren’t particularly good for garden use either. With so many unknowns about its behavior, growth requirements, and ecological impact, it’s hard to recommend it over the many well-studied, beautiful native grasses available.
If you’re drawn to the sorghum family, stick with the natives or well-behaved cultivars of grain sorghum for ornamental use. Your garden—and your local ecosystem—will thank you for making the safer choice.
Remember, every plant we choose to grow is a vote for the kind of landscape we want to see. Why not vote for the natives that have been quietly doing their job for thousands of years?
