Pampas Grass and Goats: Why We Do Not Promise This One

Pampas grass and its close relative jubata grass are the tall, plumed grasses you see on California hillsides, roadsides and in old yards. They are an invasive-plant problem and a fire problem: a mature clump holds a huge amount of dry leaves and flower stalks. People often ask whether goats can clear them. The honest answer is that goats are not the main tool for this plant, and we do not sell it as a goat job.

What the sources say

University of California and Cal-IPC material on pampas and jubata grass is consistent on one point: grazing and burning do not give lasting control, because the plants resprout quickly from the crown. One Cal-IPC summary notes that successful control by grazing has not been reported in the United States. The recommended approach is to remove the crown and roots, then check for resprouts and seedlings.

What that means in practice

• Mature clumps need to be dug out. That typically means a mattock or Pulaski on small clumps, or a machine on big ones. The plumes and dry leaves are removed and disposed of.
• Seedlings keep coming. Each plume produces a lot of seed. Check the area at least twice a year until nothing returns.
• Goats do not replace this work. They may nibble young plants and clean up the surrounding brush, but we have no evidence that they kill the clump.

Where goats still help near pampas

Pampas grass often grows in a tangle of other things: blackberry, ivy, weeds and dead brush. Goats can clear that surrounding growth, which makes the clumps easier to reach and dig out. That is a real contribution. It is a different claim from saying goats remove the grass.

A fire note

Dry pampas near a structure is a hazard. If it is within a few feet of the house, removing it should come before any grazing plan. CAL FIRE's defensible-space guidance focuses on the area immediately around the building. See the ember-resistant zone.

Our advice

If your problem is a handful of pampas clumps, hire a landscaper or do it yourself. If it is a whole hillside of mixed weeds with some pampas in it, goats can handle the mixed brush and you can handle the pampas. We would rather tell you that than quote you a job that will not deliver.