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Arizona
Range Grasses Back to the Table of Contents
Growth habit: A coarse, tough perennial 2 to 3
1/2 feet tall, growing in large, dense clumps.
Occurrence In all counties in the state except Mohave, Greenlee,
Gila, Maricopa, and Yuma between elevations of 2,500 and 6,500 feet.
It occurs on fine-textured, often alkaline soils of bottomlands and
flats, and on sandy plateaus and washes. Forage Value While this grass is growing vigorously it generally rates as fair to rather good forage for large grazing animals. When dry, it provides poor forage. It makes fair quality hay when cut during the bloom stage.
Solid stands of alkali sacaton should be grazed during
the spring and summer when growth is most active. Where possible these
areas should be fenced from surrounding uplands to avoid overuse. Where
it grows only as scattered plants, management should be aimed at maintaining
the more abundant forage species. As this sacaton is less palatable
than most of the grasses with which it grows, these grasses will be
overgrazed if full use is made of the sacaton. In order to obtain proper
use of the more desirable grasses, therefore, the sacaton will usually
remain lightly grazed.
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Cooperative
Extension,College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of
Arizona