Torpedo Grass

Panicum repens

Not native to South Carolina

Do not plant. Listed invasive in South Carolina.

Panicum repens — whole photograph — Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0 · Original photograph · Wikimedia thumbnail; no crop or retouching

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

24CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including SC

Genus host records with ranges including SC · 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
Hesperia sassacusIndian Skipper
Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier

Show all 24

Leucania adjutaAdjutant Wainscot
Leucania linitaReed Wainscot, Linen Wainscot
Lon hobomokHobomok Skipper
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

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)

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) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Dry; Moist; Water; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia

Conservation status

South Carolina rank	Not available
Global rank	GNR
SC status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources