Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Cactus
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Carnegiea gigantea
Number of Varieties
3850
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-98-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
12-14
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
12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
-
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 over Water, Needs small amount of water
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
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
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
Bees, Birds, pollinators
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Rheumatism
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Used as firewood, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
Carnegiea gigantea
Common Name
Switchgrass
Saguaro
In Hindi
Switchgrass
Saguaro
In German
Switchgrass
Saguaro
In French
switchgrass
Saguaro
In Spanish
switchgrass
Saguaro
In Greek
switchgrass
Saguaro
In Portuguese
switchgrass
Saguaro
In Polish
switchgrass
Saguaro
In Latin
switchgrass
Saguaro
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Panicum
Carnegiea
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
Pachycereeae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
4502
1
27800
👆🏻