Browntop Millet

Urochloa ramosa

Found in disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Florida edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

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

Profile 76%

Height: About 3 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to wet

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Splitbeard Bluestem
Andropogon ternarius
Sun: Full to part sun. Soil: Dry to somewhat dry. Flowers: Green.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous
Broadleaf Signal-grass
Urochloa platyphylla
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Moist to wet. Flowers: Green.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous
Bitter Panicgrass
Panicum amarum
Sun: Full sun. Soil: Dry to moist. Flowers: Pink.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Life cycle: Annual or perennial
Bloom: April to November
Fruiting season: Fall to winter

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 39 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

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
Hardiness: Zones 7a–11b
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Brown/copper, yellow or green
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Grows in clumps
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Fall
Fruit ends: Winter

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to November” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Brown/copper, yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Winter” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Grows in clumps” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 7a–11b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “About 3 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Life cycle · “Annual or perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Dry; Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

panicgrass

Conservation status

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

Conservation source Global and federal source