Switch Grass

An excellent dry tolerant grass that is fantastic for adding movement and structure to gardens. Across three seasons it remains upright, tall and impressive.

The blue green leaves turn a beautiful straw yellow in autumn which lasts into winter

The attractive, feathery flowers open in summer, above the leaves and last well. They have a pink tinge and age to bronze.

Switch Grass is lovely planted in swathes, as a part of cottage borders, along fence lines or even in xeriscapes. Panicum grasses are easy to grow and care for. They will tough out poor soils and don’t mind the dry once they have established. Switch Grass will grow in wet or dry soils. It will grow to form handsome clumps.

Panicums don’t need to be divided as regularly as Miscanthus grasses – they are one of those plants that gets better with age. You can cut them back late autumn/early winter or leave the bronze foliage to stand for winter interest and cut back before the new spring foliage shoots late July. They can set seed but after growing in our garden in Mt Dandenong for two years I am yet to see any.

Panicum virgatum are commonly known as Switch Grass.