Home
Garden Plants


Compare Needle Grass and Switchgrass


Switchgrass and Needle Grass


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Grass  
Grass  

Origin
Europe, Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Russia/Siberia  
North America, Canada, Mexico  

Types
Stipa Pennata, Stipa Gigantea, Stipa Capillata  
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum  

Number of Varieties
40  
99+
38  
99+

Habitat
meadows, Slopes  
Prairies  

USDA Hardiness Zone
6-9  
4-9  

AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1  
9 - 1  

Sunset Zone
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 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  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
76.20 cm  
99+
150.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
30.50 cm  
99+
90.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Ivory, Light Green, Silver  
Green  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Ivory, Silver  
-  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green  
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green  
Light Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Blue Green, Gray Green  
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze  

Leaf Color in Winter
-  
Tan, Sandy Brown  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Grass like  
Grass like  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Summer, Fall  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Slow  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Average  

Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer  
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
No  

Tolerances
Drought  
Pollution, Soil Compaction  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings  
Divison, Root Division  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs  
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
Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  

Soil Type
Clay, Loam  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Average  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves  
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  
Nitrogen  

Pests and Diseases
-  
Red blotch  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Pollution, Soil Compaction  

Facts

Flowers
Insignificant  
Yes  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
Yes  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Fine  
Fine  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
No  
Yes  

Attracts
-  
Birds, Wildlife  

Allergy
-  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Ground Cover  
Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
No  
Insignificant  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
-  
-  

Part of Plant Used
Fibre  
Leaves  

Other Uses
suitable for cutting, used for making high quality paper  
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Foundation, Mixed Border  
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
STIPA capillata 'Bridal Veil'  
PANICUM virgatum  

Common Name
Bridal Veil Needle Grass  
Switchgrass  

In Hindi
Needle Grass  
Switchgrass  

In German
Nadel- Gras  
Switchgrass  

In French
aiguille Herbe  
switchgrass  

In Spanish
Hierba de aguja  
switchgrass  

In Greek
βελόνα Grass  
switchgrass  

In Portuguese
agulha Relva  
switchgrass  

In Polish
igła do trawy  
switchgrass  

In Latin
acus Grass  
switchgrass  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Lilopsida  
Liliopsida  

Order
Cyperales  
Cyperales  

Family
Poaceae  
Poaceae  

Genus
Stipa  
Panicum  

Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots  
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots  

Tribe
Stipeae  
Paniceae  

Subfamily
Pooideae  
Panicoideae  

Number of Species
150  
99+
450  
99+

What is >>
<< All

Difference Between Needle Grass and Switchgrass

If you are confused whether Needle Grass or Switchgrass are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Needle Grass and Switchgrass Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Needle Grass are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, whereas for Switchgrass fertilizers required are Nitrogen. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Needle Grass and Switchgrass if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

<Flowering Plants

Compare Grass Plants

Importance of Needle Grass and Switchgrass

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Needle Grass and Switchgrass. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Needle Grass and Switchgrass as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Needle Grass is whereas of Switchgrass is . Needle Grass has beauty benefits as follows: while Switchgrass has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of Needle Grass vs Switchgrass

How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Needle Grass vs Switchgrass and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Needle Grass are whereas of Switchgrass have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Needle Grass has showy fruits and Switchgrass has showy fruits. Also Needle Grass is not flowering and Switchgrass is flowering. You can compare Needle Grass and Switchgrass facts and facts of other plants too.

Grass Plants

Grass Plants

» More Grass Plants

Compare Grass Plants

» More Compare Grass Plants