Hooked Bristlegrass; Hooked Bristle Grass

Setaria verticillata

Found in fields, roadsides, other disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

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

Profile 47%

Light: 4 or more hours of direct sun
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

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At a glance

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves · Bloom

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

Recorded in 6 Virginia 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

10CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Setaria

Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Hydraecia immanisHop Borer, Hop Vine Borer
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)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

33BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Ammospiza leconteiiLeConte's Sparrow
Anser albifronsGreater White-fronted Goose
Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
Branta canadensisCanada Goose
Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
Calcarius ornatusChestnut-collared Longspur
Calcarius pictusSmith's Longspur
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail

Show all 33

Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
Dolichonyx oryzivorusBobolink
Eremophila alpestrisHorned Lark
Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
Peucaea aestivalisBachman's Sparrow
Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow
Porzana carolinaSora
Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
Rallus limicolaVirginia Rail
Rhynchophanes mccowniiMcCown's Longspur
Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
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

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

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	Not available
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source

Native alternatives

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