Torpedo Grass

Panicum repens

Found in ditches, roadbanks, disturbed coastal sands, in areas where ship's ballast was deposited. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

-15

Harmful

Not native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 53%

Height: Torpedo grass is a perennial grass growing up to 3 feet tall from sturdy, widely creeping or floating rhizomes [65].
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to standing water

Panicum repens — whole photograph — Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0 · Original photograph

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Florida.

At a glance

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 61 Florida counties.

Habitats

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there. All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

21CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Panicum

Anatrytone loganDelaware Skipper, Logan Skipper, Black-Vein Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
Dargida rubripennisThe Pink-Streak
Hesperia attalusDotted Skipper
Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
Leucania adjutaAdjutant Wainscot
Leucania linitaReed Wainscot, Linen Wainscot

Show all 21

Marimatha nigrofimbriaBlack-Bordered Lemon
Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
Mocis texanaTexas Mocis
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Panoquina ocolaOcola Skipper, Long-Winged Skiiper
Poanes viatorBroad-Winged Skipper
Polites egeremetNorthern Broken-Dash
Polites themistoclesTawny-Edged Skipper
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Elachista solitaria
Idioglossa miraculosa

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

35BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Panicum

Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Aix sponsaWood Duck
Anas creccaGreen-winged Teal
Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
Anthus spragueiiSprague's Pipit
Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck
Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
Calcarius ornatusChestnut-collared Longspur
Calcarius pictusSmith's Longspur

Show all 35

Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
Contopus virensEastern Wood-Pewee
Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
Dendrocygna bicolorFulvous Whistling-Duck
Dolichonyx oryzivorusBobolink
Fulica americanaAmerican Coot
Gallinula galeataCommon Gallinule
Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
Mareca streperaGadwall
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
Peucaea aestivalisBachman's Sparrow
Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow
Porzana carolinaSora
Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusYellow-headed Blackbird
Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Poaceae

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Height · “Torpedo grass is a perennial grass growing up to 3 feet (1 m) tall from sturdy, widely creeping or floating rhizomes [65].” · Fire Effects Information System: Panicum repens · Source botanical description; original units and scope retained
Light · “Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Dry; Moist; Water; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia

Conservation status

Florida rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden