Sorghum is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, a group of flowering plants that also includes such important agricultural grains as wheat, rice, maize (corn), and sugar cane. Grasses typically have hollow stems (called culms) that are plugged at intervals (the nodes), with leaves arising at the nodes. The leaves generally are differentiated into a lower sheath hugging the stem for a distance and a blade. There are small, wind-pollinated flowers grouped into spikelets. The fruit is a caryopsis with the seed and fruit merged together to form a hard dry grain.

Sorghum is used for a variety of purposes. As a grain sorghum, it is used as food for people and for livestock and poultry. Grain sorghum is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world and third most important cereal crop grown in the United States. It is the principle food grain for more than 750 million people in semi-arid areas. Sweet sorghums are used for producing syrups and molasses (the plants are closely related to sugar cane) and grass sorghums are used for pasture and hay. Broomcorns are use to produce fiber for brooms.