Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Grasses of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Height	Prime Season
	Switch Grass	Panicum virgatum L.	Poaceae (Grasses)	Upland	3 to 6' feet	August to September
	Native Status	Switch grass is a native perennial found across the United States and Southern Canada except for the West Coast Regions. In Minnesota it is found in most counties, with most of the exceptions being in the north central part of the state.
Notes	Switch Grass requires full sun but tolerates a variety of moisture conditions from dry to wet, in sandy or loamy soil. It's native habitat is the prairie. It is a warm season grass, a sod-former and a common grass of the tall-grass prairie. It is an erect plant growing from large scaly rhizomes. The stem is round, usually with a reddish tint. The seed heads are an open spreading panicle, often being 18 inches in length and often as wide. Seeds are produced at the ends of the many branches of the seed head. Leaf blades are up to 1/2" wide (12mm) and 4 to 20 inches long (10-50cm), with distinct veins, a prominent mid-vein, usually smooth on upper and lower surfaces, but with a distinctive white patch of hair where the upper surface attaches to the stem. The leaf sheath is split and also prominently veined. Its fall/winter color changes from red to yellow-orange, providing year-round interest. It’s also an excellent grass for forage and soil stabilization and now has interest as a renewable biofuel resource. It is often cut for winter hay in agricultural areas. Stands of Switch grass benefit from a periodic spring burn. Native varieties self-seed and can become aggressive. For the home garden cultivars have been developed that do not self-seed. One particularly ornamental cultivar, ‘Northwind’ is an outstanding grass. It can reach from 3 to 6 feet in height, needs good sun, at least 5 hours per day for a good plant, tolerates average soil. ‘Northwind’ grows very upright, no sprawling or lodging in hot or rainy weather. The flower heads appear only in late summer on sturdy stems. This is a plant to provide a good tall backdrop, support to weaker specimens, and winter interest. The plants can become quite large so give them some room. Other good cultivars are "Shenandoah" and "Prairie Fire".


Above: The panicles of Switchgrass at an early stage of development. Photo ©G D Bebeau	Above: Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. USDA Miscellaneous Publication No. 200. Washington, DC.
Below: Switchgrass in the early season before the flowering panicles emerge. Photo ©Gary Bebeau	Below: Detail of the seed panicles. Photo ©G D Bebeau.



Above: A set of mature spikelets. Photo ©Phoebe Waugh	Above: Maturing spikelets of the cultivar "Northwind". Photo ©Gary Bebeau
Below: the leaf blade has a distinctive white patch of hair where the upper surface attaches to the stem. The leaf sheath is split and also prominently veined. Note the prominent veins in the nearby leaf blade.

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 28c, W2, W3, W5 & W6. Distribution principally from W2 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

©2011 Friends of the Wild Flower Garden, Inc. All photos are the property of The Friends of the Wild Flower Garden unless otherwise credited. "www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org"

022012