Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Middle Africa
North America, Canada, Mexico
Types
Perennial Grass
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Number of Varieties
1538
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Prairies
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
9 - 1
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm150.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Tan, Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Divison, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Birds, Wildlife
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
PANICUM virgatum
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Switchgrass
In Hindi
हाथी घास
Switchgrass
In German
Elefantengras
Switchgrass
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
switchgrass
In Spanish
pasto elefante
switchgrass
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
switchgrass
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
switchgrass
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
switchgrass
In Latin
elephanti herba
switchgrass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Panicum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Paniceae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
1450
1
27800
👆🏻