Slender foxtail (Alopecurus myosuroides) is a problematic weed of the grass family (Poaceae). It affects temperate cereal crops, particularly winter cereals, and a wide range of other crops. It spreads quickly and forms dense infestations, competing with crops for light, nutrients, space and water. This results in significant yield losses for farmers.
Its eradication from cultivated fields is difficult since many populations are resistant to commonly used grass herbicides.
Report a slender foxtail sighting
Where it's found
In Canada, slender foxtail has been found in British Columbia and Manitoba but has not become established. Slender foxtail is native to northern Africa, Europe and Asia, and has been introduced into other temperate parts of the world, including North and South America, Oceania, and other parts of Europe and Asia. It has become a major weed problem in parts of the northwestern United States.
Slender foxtail grows in cultivated fields, moist meadows, grasslands, deciduous forests and disturbed ground.
How to spot it
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Plant -
Stems and leaves -
Flower head
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Leaf and ligule -
Spikelets on bent flower head -
Spikelets and caryopses (seeds)
Slender foxtail is an upright annual or winter annual grass growing up to 85 cm tall. Stems are slender and cylindrical. Leaves are hairless, flat, 3-17 cm long and 3.5-6 mm wide. The ligule, a thin membrane found at the base of the leaf blade, is up to 6 mm long, with a jagged edge. Flower heads are dense, reddish-purple, and spike-like. They are 4-12 cm long, 3-7 mm wide, cylindrical and tapered at both ends.
How it spreads
Slender foxtail produces abundant seed, which spreads to new areas mainly by human activities. Contaminated seed lots, especially grass crops, and farm machinery are important pathways for this species.
What you can do
- Use clean, high-quality seed that is certified if possible
- Use clean grain, hay and straw
- Ensure machinery, vehicles and tools are free of soil and plant parts before moving them from one area to another
- Brush off clothing and clean footwear to avoid spreading seeds and plant material
- If you think you've spotted slender foxtail, report it to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The CFIA will follow up and determine if further action is needed.
What we are doing
Slender foxtail is regulated as a pest in Canada under the Plant Protection Act. It is also listed as a prohibited noxious weed in the Weed Seeds Order, 2016 under the Seeds Act. Importation and domestic movement of regulated plants and their propagative parts is prohibited.