Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
New Zealand
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
388
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
12-9
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, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
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 regular 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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid 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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Switchgrass
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
Switchgrass
pohutukawa
In German
Switchgrass
pohutukawa
In French
switchgrass
pohutukawa
In Spanish
switchgrass
pohutukawa
In Greek
switchgrass
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
switchgrass
pohutukawa
In Polish
switchgrass
pohutukawa
In Latin
switchgrass
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Cyperales
Myrtales
Family
Poaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Panicum
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
45012
1
27800
👆🏻