Annual or perennial stoloniferous bottom grass. Regrowth produces culms with seed heads. Typically found on moist or wet marshy ground, such as meadows and pastureland that are intermittently flooded. Trampling by grazing livestock encourages its spread. Marsh foxtail forms dense swards in damp places. Although the fodder grass is eaten by cattle and horses, yields are usually low. Sheep tend to avoid the lower parts of the plant due to the putrid smell resulting from its growing conditions. With a score of 3, the feed value is poor. There is often a risk of liver fluke in areas where marsh foxtail grows.