Giant Bristlegrass

Setaria magna

Found in Coastal tidal marshes (salinity not stated); Coastal dunes and beaches; freshwater marshes. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

43

Good

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

Profile 76%

Height: Up to about 12 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Wet to standing water

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At a glance

Life cycle: Annual

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves · Bloom

Bloom: NC species account not read yet.

Spread and leaves: no source found yet.

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

Recorded in 1 Mississippi county.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 3

Coastal tidal marshes (salinity not stated)

Tidal marshes of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts where the source does not say whether the water is fresh, brackish or salt. A stated salinity files the marsh under freshwater tidal marshes or salt and brackish marshes instead.

Coastal dunes and beaches

Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.

Freshwater marshes

Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Mississippi. Shared habitat, not food. 79 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (24)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of Mississippi

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

9CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Setaria

Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
Lerodea eufalaEufala Skipper, Gray Skipper, Rice Leafroller
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth

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

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

24BirdsRecorded eating Setaria in Mississippi

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Mississippi, most records first.

Common Ground-dove8 diet records
SoraSeeds. 7 diet records
Chipping SparrowSeeds. 5 diet records
Northern Bobwhite5 diet records
Horned LarkSeeds. 5 diet records
Bachman's SparrowSeeds. 3 diet records
Lapland Longspur3 diet records
Brown-headed Cowbird2 diet records
Red-winged Blackbird2 diet records
American Pipit2 diet records

Show all 24

Bobolink2 diet records
Field SparrowSeeds. 2 diet records
House Sparrow2 diet records
Mourning Dove2 diet records
Smith's Longspur2 diet records
Vesper SparrowSeeds. 2 diet records
American RobinSeeds. 1 diet record
Canada GooseSeeds. 1 diet record
Common Grackle1 diet record
Eastern BluebirdSeeds. 1 diet record
Eastern KingbirdSeeds. 1 diet record
European Starling1 diet record
Song SparrowSeeds. 1 diet record
Virginia Rail1 diet record

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

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 Setaria 24

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Common Ground-dove
Columbina passerina
8 diet records
Sora
Porzana carolina
Seeds. 7 diet records
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Seeds. 5 diet records
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
5 diet records
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestris
Seeds. 5 diet records
Bachman's Sparrow
Aimophila aestivalis
Seeds. 3 diet records
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicus
3 diet records
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
2 diet records
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
2 diet records
American Pipit
Anthus rubescens
2 diet records
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
2 diet records
Field Sparrow
Spizella pusilla
Seeds. 2 diet records
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
2 diet records
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
2 diet records
Smith's Longspur
Calcarius pictus
2 diet records
Vesper Sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus
Seeds. 2 diet records
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Seeds. 1 diet record
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Seeds. 1 diet record
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
1 diet record
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Seeds. 1 diet record
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Seeds. 1 diet record
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
1 diet record
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Seeds. 1 diet record
Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola
1 diet record

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Poaceae
Flower color: White or green

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

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “White or green” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Height · “Up to about 12 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Annual” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Full sun (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Water; Wet (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia

Conservation status

Mississippi rank	S4?
Global rank	G4G5
MS status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources