Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Southern Europe, Western Europe, Northern Africa
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Avena sativa, Hull-less Oat, Avena barbata
Number of Varieties
3820
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Banks, meadows, Rocky Ridges
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-95-9
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
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
Light Yellow, White
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
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Gold, Tan, Ivory
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Root Division
Divison, Spores
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Needs less 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
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
Bees, Leaf Hoppers
Allergy
-
allergic conjunctivitis, Hay fever, sneezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover, Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antispasmodic, Emmoiliant, Nervine
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics, Use in Chinese herbology, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
STIPA gigantea
Common Name
Switchgrass
Giant Feather Grass, Golden Oats
In Hindi
Switchgrass
स्वर्ण जई
In German
Switchgrass
Haferpflanze
In French
switchgrass
Plantes d'avoine
In Spanish
switchgrass
planta de avena
In Greek
switchgrass
φυτό βρώμη
In Portuguese
switchgrass
aveia planta
In Polish
switchgrass
Owies roślin
In Latin
switchgrass
Oat plant
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Panicum
Avena
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Aveneae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Pooideae
Number of Species
450-
1
27800
👆🏻