States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaFloridaVirginia
Menu

Annual Wild-rice

Zizania aquatica

39
Good

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height
About 9.8 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
High
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Bloom
No set bloom season
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 19 Florida counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 150 animals.

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Zizania

  • Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
  • Poanes viatorBroad-Winged Skipper
  • Cosmopterix nitens
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
4BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Zizania

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
5BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

  • Anas platyrhynchosMallard
  • Anser caerulescensSnow Goose
  • Aythya affinisLesser Scaup
  • Cygnus olorMute Swan
  • Porzana carolinaSora
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

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Flower color
Green
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Grows in clumps
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

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

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “No set bloom season” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · 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
  • Height · “About 9.8 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Light · “Full sun (minimum requirement)” · Virginia DCR Coastal Plain · Virginia regional planting chart; sunlight is a minimum requirement, moisture is low/moderate/high
  • Soil · “High” · Virginia DCR Coastal Plain · Virginia regional planting chart; sunlight is a minimum requirement, moisture is low/moderate/high
Also known as

Annual Wild rice

Conservation status

Florida rankSNR
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Sources