Panicum hemitomon

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Maidencane (Panicum hemitomon) is a tall, rhizome-forming grass native to North America, from New Jersey to Texas along the southeastern coast, and it is also found in parts of South America. It grows in freshwater wetlands, in water or very wet soils, and not in seawater or brackish water. It can reach about 2 meters in height and spreads through underground rhizomes to form large colonies.

The plant has canelike, air-filled roots and stems that can be erect or spreading. Nodes touching moist ground tend to root, and broken stems can root if they land in water. Leaves are up to 35 cm long and about 1.5 cm wide. The inflorescence is a panicle with upright branches, and there are both fertile and sterile stems.

Maidencane is common in coastal wetlands and can form large stands that are rooted or float as floating mats. It thrives in many freshwater wetlands, ditches, and disturbed or cultivated areas. It tolerates months of flooding and helps stabilize soil with its rhizome network, earning it reference as a keystone species by some biologists.

Its life cycle begins in winter, with growth continuing through the year and peaking in summer and fall. When conditions cause dying aboveground parts to break off, they may form floating mats, while the rhizomes enter dormancy.

For people and wildlife, maidencane is good cattle forage and is used in Florida marshes for grazing, sometimes as hay. Deer eat it, and it provides habitat for species such as the Florida panther and American alligators, along with many other animals. In some places it can become a weed or nuisance when very dense and may compete with waterfowl for resources. Controlled burns are sometimes used to thin it.