Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Panicum

Species:

Panicum nephelophilum

USDA Symbol:

PANE

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Graminoid

Height:

100 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

jul,aug,sep,oct

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from base after fire; historically maintained by periodic burning in wet pine savannas.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers habitats with high humidity

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Germination Time:

14–30 days

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI