Seeds fall near the parent plant or disperse to greater distances with human activities, soil movement, water, animals, wind, and as seed or hay contaminants. Most seed germinates from late spring through midsummer. Panicles readily break-off from the culms and disperse seeds as they tumble with the wind. Some seeds may germinate throughout the year under favorable conditions. Rhizomes develop new shoots after fire.
Fall panicum seedlings have densely hairy sheaths, but blades are only hairy on the lower surfaces.
At maturity, fertile florets are often glossy orange-brown. Wild-proso millet is cultivated as a grain crop in Eurasia, Africa, and the U.S. and is a common component of commercial birdseed. Introduced from Eurasia. It is sometimes considered a distinct species Panicum hillmanii Chase. Unlike witchgrass , Hillman's panicgrass has a large crescent-shaped scar at the base of the fertile floret.