Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
-
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
-
Number of Varieties
383
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Cultivated Beds, Riverbanks
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-98-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
12 - 8
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Sandy Brown, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Green, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Long slender
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, 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, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Root Division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Soil test crop response correlation (STCR) based integrated fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacterial leaf spot, Curvularia blotch, Downy mildew, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Removes pimples
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Appetizer, Heart problems, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Animal Feed, Fibre, Food for animals
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Bedding Plant, Container, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
PENNISETUM glaucum
Common Name
Switchgrass
Millet, Pearl Millet
In Hindi
Switchgrass
बाजरा
In German
Switchgrass
Perlhirse
In French
switchgrass
Perle Millet
In Spanish
switchgrass
El mijo perla
In Greek
switchgrass
μαργαριτάρι Κεχρί
In Portuguese
switchgrass
milheto
In Polish
switchgrass
Pearl Millet
In Latin
switchgrass
Pearl milium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Panicum
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Paniceae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
450140
1
27800
👆🏻