Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
North America, Canada, Mexico
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Number of Varieties
1538
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Prairies
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-104-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
9 - 1
Sunset Zone
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
50.80 cm150.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Tan, Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
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
Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
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, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
PANICUM virgatum
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Switchgrass
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
Switchgrass
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Switchgrass
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
switchgrass
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
switchgrass
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
switchgrass
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
switchgrass
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
switchgrass
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
switchgrass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Nassella
Panicum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Stipeae
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
116450
1
27800
👆🏻