Switch Grass Panicum virgatum
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- PAN-ih-kum ver-GAY-tum
- Description
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Switchgrass is a perennial, warm-season ornamental grass that is native to North Carolina. This plant is one of the more dominant species of the tallgrass prairie, but it is found all over North America growing along moist roadsides, streambanks, and woodlands. It reaches 3-4 feet and with its flower plumes it can measure up to 7 feet tall. It forms a dense columnar foliage clump that can spread slowly through creeping rhizomes and remains attractive year-round.
Plant it in full sun in moist clay or sandy soils. Partial shade is acceptable but it will not grow as tightly and may flop over. Propagation is by seed and division. Prune in late winter.
It has a bluish cast in the summer and is topped by finely-textured, pink-tinged, branched flower panicles that hover over the foliage like a cloud. After the flowers go to seed leave them on the plant to provide a winter food source for birds and small mammals. The leaves will turn attractive shades of yellow-orange in the fall and then leaves will fade to light brown and persist through the winter. Prune the plants back severely in late winter to early spring.
Mass plant this grass in the back of a border or use as a screen. It is effective as an accent plant in a native or water garden or along a pond. This plant is resistant to deer grazing, drought, erosion, and air pollution. It is also slightly salt tolerant, withstands occasional flooding, and can be planted near black walnut trees.
Fire Risk: This plant has an extreme flammability rating and should not be planted within the defensible space of your home. Select plants with a low flammability rating for the sites nearest your home.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Thrips, spider mites, and Japanese Beetles are occasional pests. In southern summers rust might become an issue and if grown in stressful conditions crown or root rot can occur. Some cultivars have shown good to excellent resistance to phytophthora, stem rot, arial blight, or leaf spot. See Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in the Landscape.
VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Native Plant Demonstration Garden All Saints' Episcopal Church
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Blue Tower'
8' tall blue-green leaves
'Cloud Nine'
- 'Dallas Blues'
5' tall, powdery blue leaves, copper fall color, pink-purple flowers
'Heavy Metal'
- 'Prairie Fire'
5' green leaves turn deep red summer, yellow in the fall, pink flowers - 'Prairie Sky'
4'-5' tall bluest leaves - 'Rotstrahibusch'
Excellent resistance to phytophthora. Good resistance to leaf spot. - 'Shenandoah'
4' tall, red leaf tips, burgundy fall color and seed heads. Excellent resistance to phytophthora. - 'Thundercloud'
- var. cubense
Wet to dry sandy pine forest - var. virgatum
dry or wet sandy soil, marshes, shores, pine forest
Blue green leaves; dark gold fall color
Metallic blue foliage 'Northwind'
5' tall, erect, blue leaves, gold fall, burgandy-green flowers - 'Blue Tower'
- 'Blue Tower', 'Cloud Nine', 'Dallas Blues', 'Heavy Metal', 'Northwind', 'Prairie Fire', 'Prairie Sky', 'Rotstrahibusch', 'Shenandoah', 'Thundercloud', var. cubense, var. virgatum
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Blue Tower'
8' tall blue-green leaves
'Cloud Nine'
- 'Dallas Blues'
5' tall, powdery blue leaves, copper fall color, pink-purple flowers
'Heavy Metal'
- 'Prairie Fire'
5' green leaves turn deep red summer, yellow in the fall, pink flowers - 'Prairie Sky'
4'-5' tall bluest leaves - 'Rotstrahibusch'
Excellent resistance to phytophthora. Good resistance to leaf spot. - 'Shenandoah'
4' tall, red leaf tips, burgundy fall color and seed heads. Excellent resistance to phytophthora. - 'Thundercloud'
- var. cubense
Wet to dry sandy pine forest - var. virgatum
dry or wet sandy soil, marshes, shores, pine forest
Blue green leaves; dark gold fall color
Metallic blue foliage 'Northwind'
5' tall, erect, blue leaves, gold fall, burgandy-green flowers - 'Blue Tower'
- 'Blue Tower', 'Cloud Nine', 'Dallas Blues', 'Heavy Metal', 'Northwind', 'Prairie Fire', 'Prairie Sky', 'Rotstrahibusch', 'Shenandoah', 'Thundercloud', var. cubense, var. virgatum
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Panicum
- Species:
- virgatum
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- It is being explored for its use as a biofuel.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America
- Fire Risk Rating:
- extreme flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Provides excellent cover year round. This is a larval host plant for various Skipper butterflies and the Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) which have one brood from late May to October. Adult Common Wood-Nymph butterflies feed on rotting fruit and flower nectar. Seeds are eaten by songbirds and small mammals in the winter.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Nesting
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Seldom bothered by deer browsing. Some cultivars have good to excellent resistance to phytophthora.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 7 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Columnar
- Dense
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- Occasional Flooding
- Occasionally Dry
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Caryopsis
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Teardrop seed is in form of a grain 1/8" long start out pink or purple and turn tan in the fall. Displays from August to November.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Good Dried
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Winter
- Flower Description:
- Open 1' tall flower spikes with branched panicles of feathery dark red anthers and stigmas to purple from June to October with shiny red seeds.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Leaf Type:
- Sheath
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Rosulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Description:
- Medium green with a bluish cast narrow leaves have a visible midrib. A small patch of white hairs present where the leaves attach to the stems. Good fall color of yellow and orange. Winter color is tan.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Round stiff stems
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Recreational Play Area
- Vertical Spaces
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Cutting Garden
- Edible Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Screen/Privacy
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Black Walnut
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Erosion
- Pollution
- Salt
- Wet Soil
