Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Tender Perennial
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Madagascar
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
-
Number of Varieties
3850
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
All sorts of environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
12-9
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
H1, H2, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Root Division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Reduce watering in winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
HYPOESTES phyllostachya
Common Name
Switchgrass
Polka Dot Plant, Polkadot Plant
In Hindi
Switchgrass
Polka dot plant
In German
Switchgrass
Tupfen-Anlage
In French
switchgrass
Polka dot usine de
In Spanish
switchgrass
Planta de lunares
In Greek
switchgrass
Φυτό πουά
In Portuguese
switchgrass
Planta bolinhas
In Polish
switchgrass
Grochy roślin
In Latin
switchgrass
Facies dot herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Acanthaceae
Genus
Panicum
Hypoestes
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
Ruellieae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Acanthoideae
Number of Species
45050
1
27800
👆🏻