Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
World/Pandemic, North America, Europe
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Lustrous Creeping Red Fescue, Rubra trichophylla, Rubra rubra
Number of Varieties
381
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Wide range of ecological site
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-92-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
7 - 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
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Mat-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm5.10 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Root Division
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Needs 2-3 times watering per week
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Prune grass to maintain level
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
fertilize in fall
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Billbugs, Dollar spot, Pythium blight, Red blotch, Red thread, White grubs
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction
-
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
Bugs
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Edging, Groundcover, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
FESTUCA rubra
Common Name
Switchgrass
Red Fescue
In Hindi
Switchgrass
Red Fescue
In German
Switchgrass
Rotschwingel
In French
switchgrass
fétuque rouge
In Spanish
switchgrass
festuca roja
In Greek
switchgrass
κόκκινο Φεστούκα
In Portuguese
switchgrass
Red festuca
In Polish
switchgrass
Kostrzewa czerwona
In Latin
switchgrass
Red Fescue
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Panicum
Festuca
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
450300
1
27800
👆🏻