[6] African foxtail grass is native to tropical Africa, the Mediterranean region and the hotter and drier parts of Asia.

The introduction was largely unsuccessful but the grass began to appear as a weed beside highways and in cleared fields or over-grazed land.

It can spread quickly and appears to increase the mortality of native plants, including grasses and even palo verdes, by taking away nearby water.

Its flammability (injurious to neighbors) and quick regrowth allow it to compete successfully against almost all vegetation in the Sonoran Desert region.

[12] In Australia's Northern Territory, invasive buffel grass is implicated in worsening wild fires and is declared a weed.