Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Flowering Plants
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
-
Number of Varieties
3840
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-94-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
9-1
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
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
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
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
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Switchgrass
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Switchgrass
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Switchgrass
Kracher penstemon
In French
switchgrass
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
switchgrass
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
switchgrass
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
switchgrass
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
switchgrass
petarda penstemon
In Latin
switchgrass
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Cyperales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Panicum
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
450250
1
27800
👆🏻