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Southern wild-rice, Giant cut-grass
Zizaniopsis miliacea
Poaceae
 

Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wet butterfly gardens.

Availability: Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida.

Description: Large erect herbaceous grass.

Dimensions: To 8-10 feet in height. Spreading from underground stems (rhizomes) and forming patches.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Eastern and central United States and scattered in Florida south to Broward and Collier counties; Veracruz, Mexico.

Plant Map Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

 Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.

Habitats: Swamps and marshes.

Soils: Wet, poorly-drained organic soils.

Nutritional Requirements: High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.

Drought Tolerance: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.

Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.

Flower Color: Brownish inflorescence.

Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy inflorescence.

Flowering Season: Spring-summer.

Fruit: Inconspicuous caryopsis.

Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for clouded skipper (Lerema accius) and least skipper (Analoxypha numitor) butterflies.

References: Nelson 2003


Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley

Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley

Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley

Copyright by: Susan Trammell


Other data on Zizaniopsis miliacea available from:



 
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