Life Span
Perennial
Annual or Biennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
South America, Micronesia, New Zealand
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Silver pampas grass, Uruguayan pampas grass, Purple pampas grass
Number of Varieties
3825
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Lawn
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-97-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
11 - 7
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
H1, 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 cm304.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
Pink, Violet, White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Green, Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Dark Green, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Long and slender with very sharp edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Summer, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Root Division
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Needs watering once a week, Reduce water once established, Water more frequently during periods of extreme drought
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Prune in late winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
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
Birds, Rats, Snakes
Allergy
-
Itchiness, Skin cuts
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
Insignificant
Insignificant
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Fibre, Food for animals, Used in paper industry
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
CORTADERIA
Common Name
Switchgrass
Pampas Grass
In Hindi
Switchgrass
Pampas grass
In German
Switchgrass
Pampasgrass
In French
switchgrass
herbe de la pampa
In Spanish
switchgrass
cortaderas
In Greek
switchgrass
γρασίδι Πάμπα
In Portuguese
switchgrass
grama de Pampas
In Polish
switchgrass
Pampas trawy
In Latin
switchgrass
Pampas herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Panicum
Cortaderia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Danthonieae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Danthonioideae
Number of Species
45025
1
27800
👆🏻