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Photo: Pethan, via Wikimedia CommonsLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0

Sorghum

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Family: Poaceae

  • Grain Crop
  • Annual
  • Grass

Pet & Human Safety

People: Toxic to people (low severity)Pets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
Human edibility
Only some parts are edible
Edible parts
mature grain
Hazardous parts
young/actively growing leafy tissue; regrowth after a light frost or drought stress: as forage, not as a documented human-food part
Preparation
not applicable to the mature grain eaten as food
Hazard type
cyanogenic compound (dhurrin, breaks down to hydrocyanic acid/HCN) in young or stressed plant tissue
Hazard route
ingestion of damaged or young plant tissue
How complete this information is
The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets
No ASPCA entry found.

no ASPCA entry exists under this or any related common name. No pet-safety verdict is given, because not appearing in a list does not show a plant is safe. see the hazard information below for the separate food-safety picture.

Patent / trademark
not applicable

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones

Not checked yet

Water needs

moderate

Soil & Drainage
Pruning & Flush Rhythm
Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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Anatomy & Guilds

Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics

How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.

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Field Doctor

Field Doctor

What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.

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Vintage Plates

Vintage Plates

Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.

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Sources

  1. USDA PLANTS Database, Sorghum bicolor (SOBI2)
  2. Oklahoma State University Extension, Prussic Acid Poisoning
  3. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox - Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench
  4. Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), names file dated 2026-06-04
  5. ASPCA Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Sudan Grass (Sorghum vulgare var. sudanesis)

How we choose sources

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