Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Europe, Asia
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
-
Number of Varieties
3870
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-95-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
8 - 5
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
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm40.60 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
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
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Root Division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Ample Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Prune to control growth
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Wet Site
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
-
Allergy
-
Asthma, conjunctivitis, Rhinitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Food for animals, Food for insects, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
cultivated as pasture or hay crop, Food for animals, Food for insects
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Feature Plant, Groundcover, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
ALOPECURUS pratensis
Common Name
Switchgrass
Meadow Foxtail
In Hindi
Switchgrass
Meadow Foxtail
In German
Switchgrass
Wiesenfuchsschwanz
In French
switchgrass
vulpin des prés
In Spanish
switchgrass
pradera de cola de zorra
In Greek
switchgrass
Meadow Foxtail
In Portuguese
switchgrass
Meadow Foxtail
In Polish
switchgrass
łąka ber
In Latin
switchgrass
meadow Foxtail
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Panicum
Alopecurus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
4503
1
27800
👆🏻