Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Mexico
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Cat palm, Date palm, Old Man palm
Number of Varieties
381
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
gardens, Grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-912-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
12-1
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, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm365.76 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Long hair-like leaves
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
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
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
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
Average Water Needs
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
Bugs, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Mites, Spider Mites
Allergy
-
Blurred vision, Diarrhea, Rash, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
-
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Tropical
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
BEAUCARNEA recurvata
Common Name
Switchgrass
Bottle Palm, Ponytail Palm
In Hindi
Switchgrass
Ponytail Palm
In German
Switchgrass
Pferdeschwanz Palm
In French
switchgrass
Ponytail Palm
In Spanish
switchgrass
Cola de caballo de palma
In Greek
switchgrass
αλογοουρά παλάμη
In Portuguese
switchgrass
rabo- de palma
In Polish
switchgrass
kucyk palmowy
In Latin
switchgrass
ponytail palmarum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Asparagales
Family
Poaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Panicum
Beaucarnea
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
45010
1
27800
👆🏻