Maidencane
Panicum hemitomon
In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in ponds, lakes and their shores; swamps; freshwater marshes; roadsides, fields and disturbed ground. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you
Native status unresolved in Louisiana. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 76%
- Height
- Up to about 6 feet
- Light
- Partial shade, Full sun
- Soil moisture
- Moist to wet
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Bloom
- March to November
Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves
Recorded in 33 Louisiana parishes.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.
Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 131 animals.
- White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- White-faced IbisPlegadis chihi
- White-winged DoveZenaida asiatica
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- Wilson's PloverCharadrius wilsonia
- Wilson's WarblerWilsonia pusilla
- Wood StorkMycteria americana
- Yellow RailCoturnicops noveboracensis
- Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
Widespread birds also seen here (33)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Robin
- Bald Eagle
- Black-crowned Night-heron
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Canada Goose
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chimney Swift
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Yellowthroat
- Cooper's Hawk
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Eastern Kingbird
- European Starling
- Great Egret
- Great Horned Owl
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Osprey
- Pine Siskin
- Purple Finch
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Turkey Vulture
- White-throated Sparrow
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-crowned Night-heron
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
Who uses this plant?
22CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA
Genus host records with ranges including LA · Panicum
- Anatrytone loganDelaware Skipper, Logan Skipper, Black-Vein Skipper
- Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
- Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
- Dargida rubripennisThe Pink-Streak
- Hesperia attalusDotted Skipper
- Hesperia leonardusLeonard's Skipper, Blazing Star Skipper, Pawnee Prairie Skipper, Pawnee Montane Skipper
- Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper
- Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
- Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
- Leucania adjutaAdjutant Wainscot
Show all 22
- Leucania linitaReed Wainscot, Linen Wainscot
- Marimatha nigrofimbriaBlack-Bordered Lemon
- Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
- Mocis texanaTexas Mocis
- Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
- Panoquina ocolaOcola Skipper, Long-Winged Skiiper
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Poanes viatorBroad-Winged Skipper
- Polites egeremetNorthern Broken-Dash
- Polites themistoclesTawny-Edged Skipper
- Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
- Idioglossa miraculosa
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
28BirdsRecorded eating Panicum in Louisiana
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Louisiana, most records first.
- Wild TurkeySeeds. 19 diet records
- Common Ground-dove18 diet records
- Red-winged BlackbirdSeeds. 10 diet records
- Mourning Dove8 diet records
- Field SparrowSeeds. 7 diet records
- Yellow-headed BlackbirdSeeds. 6 diet records
- Chipping SparrowSeeds. 4 diet records
- SoraSeeds. 4 diet records
- Northern Bobwhite4 diet records
- Vesper SparrowSeeds. 4 diet records
Show all 28
- Brown-headed Cowbird3 diet records
- Bachman's SparrowSeeds. 3 diet records
- House Sparrow3 diet records
- Wood DuckSeeds. 3 diet records
- Lapland Longspur2 diet records
- American Pipit2 diet records
- Bobolink2 diet records
- Ring-necked DuckSeeds. 2 diet records
- American Coot1 diet record
- American RobinSeeds. 1 diet record
- Common Grackle1 diet record
- Dark-eyed JuncoSeeds. 1 diet record
- Eastern BluebirdSeeds. 1 diet record
- Eastern Wood-peweeSeeds. 1 diet record
- Fulvous Whistling-duckSeeds. 1 diet record
- GadwallSeeds. 1 diet record
- Smith's Longspur1 diet record
- Sprague's Pipit1 diet record
Direct food only. 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
Birds that eat Panicum 28
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- Common Ground-doveColumbina passerina
- Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
- Field SparrowSpizella pusilla
- Yellow-headed BlackbirdXanthocephalus xanthocephalus
- Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
- Bachman's SparrowAimophila aestivalis
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Wood DuckAix sponsa
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- American CootFulica americana
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula
- Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis
- Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
- Eastern Wood-peweeContopus virens
- Fulvous Whistling-duckDendrocygna bicolor
- GadwallAnas strepera
- Smith's LongspurCalcarius pictus
- Sprague's PipitAnthus spragueii
Plant details
- Family
- Poaceae
- Flower color
- Green or brown
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “March to November” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “Green or brown” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Height · “Up to about 6 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
- Soil · “Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Also known as
Hymenachne hemitomon; Maiden Cane; Marsh Grass; Panicum hemitomon; panicgrass
Conservation status
| Louisiana rank | SNR |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5? |
| LA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Sources
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- Louisiana occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications