← Bedfellow

Switchgrass

Panicum virgatum

Sturdy upright clumps of narrow foliage are topped with airy, cloud-like spray panicles in late summer that hover like reddish mist over the plant. Unusually tough, holding its own in dry sand and heavy clay alike. Golden fall color persists through winter to shelter songbirds.

Family

Poaceae

Type

grass

Lifespan

perennial

Height

3–6 ft

Spacing

2–3 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

August, September, October, November

Bloom colors

green, brown

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Landscape uses

specimen, erosion control, naturalizing

Native states

AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY