More Information
| Botanical Name |
Panicum virgatum |
| Seeds Per Pack |
100 |
| Life Cycle |
Perennial |
| Min. Time to Germinate |
7 Days |
| Max. Time to Germinate |
21 Days |
| Depth to Sow Seeds |
1/4 in. |
| When to Sow |
Indoors 4-6 weeks before last spring frost, Outdoors after all danger of spring frost is past |
| Growing Height |
6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m) |
| Plant Spacing |
36-48 in. (90-120 cm) |
| Hardiness |
USDA Zone 4a: to -25F, USDA Zone 4b: to -20F, USDA Zone 5a: to -15F, USDA Zone 5b: to -10F, USDA Zone 6a: to -5F, USDA Zone 6b: to 0F, USDA Zone 7a: to 5F, USDA Zone 7b: to 10F, USDA Zone 8a: to 15F, USDA Zone 8b: to 20F, USDA Zone 9a: to 25F, USDA Zone 9b: to 30F |
| Sun Exposure |
Full Sun, Sun to Partial Shade |
| Danger |
N/A |
| Bloom Time |
Late Summer/Early Fall |
| Foliage |
Grown for Foliage |
| Other Details |
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater, Provides winter interest |
| Soil pH Requirements |
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic), 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral), 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) |
| Propagation Methods |
By dividing the rootball, From seed; direct sow after last frost, From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall, From seed; sow indoors before last frost, From seed; stratify if sowing indoors, From seed; winter sow in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse |
| Seed Collecting |
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds |
Consider not cutting Switch Grass back late fall in your garden; it holds up well in heavy snow providing winter cover for small mammals and land birds. Birds will also feed on the seeds and the dried foliage adds a splash of pale yellow to the winter landscape. Switch Grass is clump-forming and rhizomatous. It is a dominant grass of what was the vast tallgrass North American prairie.
