It readily naturalizes in temperate climates, and can become a noxious weed in arable areas and an invasive species in native habitats.

It differs from L. perenne in its spikelet, which has a long bristle at the top, and its stem, which is round rather than folded.

Lolium multiflorum is widely used to provide large forage yields in short term leys where persistence of the crop is not a priority.

In the United States, Lolium multiflorum is sometimes used as a winter cover crop to prevent erosion, build soil structure and suppress weeds.

As a palatable forage crop, it can be grazed by livestock and provide food in years when alfalfa suffers from winter kill.