Watry Panicgrass is an annual flowering grass in the Poaceae (grass) family native to the central and eastern United States. Warty Panicgrass is a terrestrial plant, not aquatic, but does appear in wooded floodplains, disturbed areas, and swamps. It has sheathed leaves, a sprawling habit, and solitary, terminal, erect purple culms. It is noted for its warty, dark green spikelets. The genus name, Kellochloa, is in honour of Elizabeth Anne Kellog (b.1951) an American botanist and the species name verrucosum is Latin for warty. Warty Panicgrass prefers moist to wet, sandy, or loamy soils. It is a hardy plant that has shown regrowth in response to clear cutting or roller chopping. It will spread by seeds dispersed by gravity and the wind. The species often increases after tilling and seed germination depends on exposed and disturbed soil. Diseases, Insect Pests and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Annual; Native Plant; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Life cycle
Annual
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Sheath; Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Clums reddish sheathing glaborus on one side hairy on the outer margin. Leaf blades are alternate lanceolate light green with red veining 2 1/2 to 10 inches long and less than 1/2 inch wide.
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Green
Flower form
Panicle
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small, purple-spotted panicle appear from August to late September. The flowers are attached to branches.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Fruit detail
Indehiscent caryopsis
Stem color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern and central U.S.A.
Distribution
New England south to Florida, west to Texas and Oklahoma.
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Pond
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Rain Garden
Design feature
Small groups
Garden tags
#NC native #hardy #sprawling #grass #annual #flowers late summer #culms