Panicum virgatum
Common name: Switch Grass
Switch grass is a beautiful grass at all times, but it really comes into its own in late summer into winter. The 30” (plus or minus) seed heads will turn a lovely shade of yellow/orange and are held aloft by very stout stems that can support a surprising amount of snow. This plant is at home on the edges of moist areas of all kinds throughout the area. It can become aggressive on wetter sites, but this can be desirable. Beware of the many, many selections of the Panicum genus because some of them do not hold their color well.
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Plant Details
Plant type
Grasses, Sedges and Rushes
Soil type
Mesic (Not too Wet Not too Dry), Moist Mesic, Wet
Light exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun / Part Shade
Bloom period
Summer
Urban environment
Uncompacted Urban Soils, Harsh Exposure Tolerant, Compacted/New Construction Soils, Yards that Flood
Habitat
Prairie Grasslands
Growth form
Shrubby/Clump, Colonizing / Spreading
Growth rate
Fast
Flower color
Yellow Orange
Fall color
Golden
Size
- Mature height
- 3 Feet
- Mature width
- 1 Inches
- Max height
- 5 Feet
- Max width
- 1 Inches
Additional information
Loved by birds