Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Nassella tenuissima
Number of Varieties
3815
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-96-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
11 - 4
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
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm50.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm55.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial 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
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
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
Do not water excessively
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
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
Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
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
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
NASSELLA tenuissima
Common Name
Switchgrass
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
In Hindi
Switchgrass
Mexican Feather Grass
In German
Switchgrass
Mexikanische Federgras
In French
switchgrass
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
In Spanish
switchgrass
Pluma hierba mexicana
In Greek
switchgrass
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
In Portuguese
switchgrass
Mexican Pena Relva
In Polish
switchgrass
Mexican Feather trawy
In Latin
switchgrass
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Panicum
Nassella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Stipeae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
450116
1
27800
👆🏻