The first several leaves grow under water, but the plant soon produces floating leaves that can be readily seen on the water surface. Wild rice plants can have many tillers, and tillering is a function of stand density. Because tillers mature at different rates, it is desirable to reduce tillering by achieving a fairly dense, uniform stand. Wild rice heads are similar to those of oats and are called a panicle. The bottom portion of the wild rice panicle bears male flowers while the top part bears female flowers.
Female flowers emerge and mature before male flowers, ensuring cross pollination.
Like oats and barley, wild rice seed is not free-threshing and has an adhering hull which must be removed during seed processing. Seed is green in color when mature and is normally harvested at a moisture content of 35-40 percent. Oregon growers have generally found fall fertilizer application most effective for wild rice production, but this technique relies on heavy clay soils in the paddy and dikes to minimize nutrient losses from leaching. Other nutrients such as P and K are usually not applied unless soil testing indicates a deficiency. Wild rice is susceptible to zinc deficiencies.