Scientific name: Andropogon virginicus

Hawaiian Name: —

Classification: Kingdom: Plantae. Phylum: Dicotyledonae. Family: Poaceae

Origin: Introduced; first collected on the Big Island in 1924.

Status: Common.

Distribution: All main Hawaiian Islands (except Ni‘ihau and Kaho‘olawe) and Midway.

Map: —

Broomsedge, or whiskey grass, is a noxious weed and fire hazard found naturally in the Eastern United States and has now spread to Central America and California. On O‘ahu and the Big Island it is common along roadsides and is also found in disturbed shrublands. In the southern U.S., its culms are used to make brooms, hence its common name.