Practical
Plants

Panicum capillare

Old Witch Grass

an annual member of the Panicum genus in the family Gramineae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Genus
Panicum
Life cycle
annual
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked whole or ground into a powder and used as a flour[6]. It is often mixed with corn[[1][3]. The seed is very small and fiddly to use, it has a mild flavour and can be used like millet[K]. In the wild, the seed stem breaks off when the seed is ripe and then blows away in the wind, scattering the seed[5].

Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An infusion of the leaves has been used as an emetic[6]. An infusion of the plant has been used as a reducing aid when dieting[6].

Product or use
Emetic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The grass can be made into brooms[6].

Product or use
Broom

Environment

Range
N. America - Nova Scotia to North Dakota, south to Florida and Texas. An occasional weed in Britain.
Habitat
Open sandy or stony soil or cultivated land in N. America[7]. An occasional abundant weed of carrot crops in E. Anglia[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a week. Prick out the seedlings into trays or individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts[200, K].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun[4].

References

  1. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  2. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  5. Hitchcock. A. S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States Dover Publications. New York. 1971-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22717-0

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  6. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  7. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

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