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| ## Havard panicum {#havard-panicum .Title-Header}                     |
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| *Panicum havardii* Vasey                                              |
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| Plant Symbol = PAHA2                                                  |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS James E. 'Bud' Smith Plant Materials Center

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="2.25in"}

##### Rudy G. Esquivel, USDA NRCS James E. 'Bud' Smith Plant Materials Center {#rudy-g.-esquivel-usda-nrcs-james-e.-bud-smith-plant-materials-center .Header-3}

#####  {#section .Header-3}

##### Alternate Names {#alternate-names .Header-3}

##### Havard's panicgrass, Havard's panicum, Havard panic {#havards-panicgrass-havards-panicum-havard-panic .Header-3}

##### Uses {#uses .Header-3}

Havard panicum grows naturally on deep, active sand dunes and arroyos.
It is useful for the stabilization of active sand dunes and arroyos.
Harvard panicum produces low forage yield, and the forage is coarse and
unpalatable when plants are in the mature stage. But, cattle will eat
the forage of this grass when plants are in the early vegetative stages.

##### Status {#status .Header-3}

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

#####  {#section-1 .Header-3}

##### Description {#description .Header-3}

##### Havard panicum is a perennial, warm-season, native grass with stout solitary culms and rhizomes elongated and scaly. Inflorescence is a panicle which is 7 to 15 inches long. The panicle is open, about 7 to 15 inches wide with an ovate shape. Panicle branches are stiff. Seeds are nearly twice the size of switchgrass. Culms are decumbent and 25 to 63 inches long. Culm-internodes are covered with a waxy coating that gives a blue-green color and are hairless. Leaf sheaths are without a keel and without hairs on the leaf surface. Ligules are a ciliate membrane, 0.08 to 0.16 inches long.  {#havard-panicum-is-a-perennial-warm-season-native-grass-with-stout-solitary-culms-and-rhizomes-elongated-and-scaly.-inflorescence-is-a-panicle-which-is-7-to-15-inches-long.-the-panicle-is-open-about-7-to-15-inches-wide-with-an-ovate-shape.-panicle-branches-are-stiff.-seeds-are-nearly-twice-the-size-of-switchgrass.-culms-are-decumbent-and-25-to-63-inches-long.-culm-internodes-are-covered-with-a-waxy-coating-that-gives-a-blue-green-color-and-are-hairless.-leaf-sheaths-are-without-a-keel-and-without-hairs-on-the-leaf-surface.-ligules-are-a-ciliate-membrane-0.08-to-0.16-inches-long. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-2 .Header-3}

##### Adaptation {#adaptation .Header-3}

Havard panicum grows in arroyos and sand hills of western Texas,
southern New Mexico and northern Mexico (Hitchcock 1935). This grass,
like giant sandreed (*Calamovilfa gigantea*), and blowout grass
(*Redfieldia flexuosa*) are among the first native species to show up as
stabilizers on deep, active, sand dune areas. Giant sandreed and blowout
grass are common over a wide section of the southern United States, but
Havard panicum is found only in Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern
Mexico, in arroyos and on the extensive dune areas. It is prevalent in
Ward, Crane, Winkler, Ector, and Andrews Counties of western Texas.

#####  {#section-3 .Header-3}

##### Establishment {#establishment .Header-3}

Havard panicum is established from seed in the spring by either
broadcasting on the sand dunes or sowing with a small grass drill at a
depth of ¼ inch on flatter surface dune areas. Applying a thin layer of
hay mulch or an erosion control type mat after seeding will retain
moisture when it rains to aid in the seed germination.

An alternative is to propagate Havard panicum from rhizomes, harvested
during the previous year, in the greenhouse in 1 gallon pots and
transplant these rhizomes in the spring to sandy sites. Irrigation of
these sandy sites would be necessary during the first growing season.

##### Management {#management .Header-3}

Havard panicum is valuable for controlling erosion on deep sands subject
to severe wind erosion.

When used for pasture the grazing value of ~~the~~ havard panicum can be
fair at early vegetative stages, before the inflorescence stage, when
plants are fresh with new growth. Do not overgraze and leave enough
plant material for regrowth. Begin grazing when plants reaches a height
of 12 inches; plants should not be grazed below a stubble height of 6 to
8 inches. At the James E. "Bud" Smith Plant Materials Center near Knox
City, Texas, the Havard panicum grown for seed production is swathed and
baled for hay, after the seeds are harvested.

##### Pests and Potential Problems {#pests-and-potential-problems .Header-3}

In a seed production field at the NRCS/James E. 'Bud' Smith Plant
Materials Center near Knox City, Texas the plant species did not
encounter any pest or potential problems.

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) {#cultivars-improved-and-selected-materials-and-area-of-origin .Header-3}

##### There are currently no cultivars of Havard panicum, in the commercial seed company.  {#there-are-currently-no-cultivars-of-havard-panicum-in-the-commercial-seed-company. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-4 .Header-3}

##### Prepared By:  {#prepared-by .Header-3}

*Rudy G. Esquivel,* USDA NRCS James E. 'Bud' Smith Plant Materials
Center, Knox City, Texas

##### Species Coordinator:  {#species-coordinator .Header-3}

*Rudy G. Esquivel,* USDA NRCS James E. 'Bud' Smith Plant Materials
Center, Knox City, Texas

##### Edited: 14jun07 jh; 29jun07 jsp {#edited-14jun07-jh-29jun07-jsp .Header-4}

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

*The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in
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large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA\'s [TARGET
Center](http://www.usda.gov/oo/target.htm) at 202-720-2600 (voice and
TDD).*

*To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or
TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.*

*Read about [Civil Rights at the Natural Resources Convervation
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