Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Kigelia africana
Number of Varieties
389
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-12
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, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm910.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
Dark Red, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
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
Needs a lot of water initially
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
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
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
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
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Poisonous when unripe
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Slow downs aging
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Dried seeds, Leaves
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
KIGELIA africana
Common Name
Switchgrass
Sausage Tree
In Hindi
Switchgrass
Sausage Tree
In German
Switchgrass
Sausage Tree
In French
switchgrass
saucisse Arbre
In Spanish
switchgrass
Árbol de salchicha
In Greek
switchgrass
λουκάνικο δέντρο
In Portuguese
switchgrass
Árvore de salsicha
In Polish
switchgrass
kiełbasa Drzewo
In Latin
switchgrass
farciminis ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Bignoniaceae
Genus
Panicum
Kaempferia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
Tecomeae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
4509
1
27800
👆🏻