Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Basal
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Size Class: 3-6 ft.
Leaf Shape: Linear
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Leaf Margin: Entire
Inflorescence: Panicle
Fruit Type: Grain
Leaf Color: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Green , Brown
Bloom Time: Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov
Bloom Notes: Pollinated by wind.

Distribution

USA: AL , AZ , AR , CO , CT , DE , FL , GA , HI , ID , IL , IN , IA , KS , KY , LA , ME , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , MT , NE , NV , NH , NJ , NM , NY , NC , ND , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VT , VA , WV , WI , WY , DC
Canada: MB , NS , ON , QC , SK
Native Distribution: Que. to Sask. & MT, s. to FL, TX, AZ & Mex.
Native Habitat: Dry or moist prairies; bluffs; stream banks; open woods. In moist and seasonally damp open places throughout Texas, except for Trans-Pecos. Sand, loam, clay, limestone; poor drainage okay.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), HI(I), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Dry to moist soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam Clay Loam, Clay, Limestone-based.
Conditions Comments: Clump-forming, warm-season grass with open, lacy sprays with small seeds. Switchgrass is a loose sod former with a large, open, finely textured, reddish-purple seedhead. Bright green leaves occur up and down the stem, turning bright yellow in fall.
Texas comments: Switchgrass is a clump-forming, warm-season grass. It has finely textured, reddish-purple seedheads. It tolerates seasonal poor drainage, making it a good choice for a dry creek bed or rain garden. Before new foliage emerges fresh from the base in spring, many gardeners prefer to cut back old vegetation to six inches above ground. Flower panicles are open, airy and delicate making it a very attractive accent plant in a garden or meadow.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Attractive, Fall conspicuous, Pocket prairie, Grows in clumps, Accent
Use Wildlife: Fair Grazing; Seeds eaten by ground-feeding songbirds and game birds; Provides cover and nesting material.
Use Other: Used for range re-seeding.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Larval Host: Delaware Skipper. The Grass Family is an essential larval host for most banded skippers and most of the satyrs.
Deer Resistant: High

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Panicum virgatum is a larval host and/or nectar source for:

Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) Food Source Larval Host Learn more at BAMONA

Dotted Skipper (Hesperia attalus) Larval Host Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Description: Propagate by sowing unstratified seed in fall or stratified seed in spring. Sow 1/4
Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: Dry stratification.
Commercially Avail: yes

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PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) is a PlantWise native alternative for:

   Bromus inermis (smooth brome)
   Cortaderia selloana (Uruguayan pampas grass)
   Imperata cylindrica (cogongrass)
   Miscanthus sacchariflorus (Amur silvergrass)
   Miscanthus sinensis (Chinese silvergrass)
   Miscanthus sinensis (Chinese silvergrass)
   Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass)
   Phyllostachys aurea (golden bamboo)
   Schedonorus phoenix (tall fescue)

Find Seed or Plants

Order seed of this species from Native American Seed and help support the Wildflower Center.

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: Dear Mr. Smarty Plants; Are there any grass seeds that I can plant NOW, early December, on Long Island, NY? The planting environment is on and near a sandy bluff on a bayshore, where it can be windy at times, and salty air from the bay. For example, can I plant Little Bluestem and/or Big Bluestem seeds now? Are there any other grasses that I can plant as seeds now? Thank you. Richard
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Question: Can you provide a list of plants for use on slopes in S. Texas?
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Question: Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I have a question about the East Texas area: Specifically, which natvie grasses can be planted to hold the soil/new roads through the winter? Here is the situation: (Against my will), my uncle and father are planning to use some of the land for timber (pines). However, there are several roads (to be used a paths for 4 wheelers) cut through the area where they just cleared and my uncle is planning to plant them in rye grass (as recommend by the forester) so it will hold the roads and soil through the winter. Also, the dam along the pond was just fixed (beavers had cut through it) and needs grass there to keep the soil as well. Is there a native alternative for both situations that you can recommend? I have tried to explain the benefit of planting native grasses here (I am a UT Geography student and took a class at Wildflower Center with Mark Simmons in Fall of 2007). However, my uncle does not believe me, instead chosing to believe the forester and his rye grass everywhere theory (which brings in the hogs, who destroy the land). Currenlty, the open land is overrun with non-native Bahhia - what is the best way to get rid of that and encourage native growth? Burning? Thank you for your help. Any information you can share with me (and hopefully my uncle!) would be helpful.
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Question: Hi, I am trying to do an eagle project that involves putting vegetation onto a hill to prevent erosion. I live in Vermont. What kinds of plants would hold together a hillside and could be planted in abundance for cheap?
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Question: How can I access your data base to learn what plants are flowering in Austin during the months of October and early November?
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From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Sunshine Farm & Gardens - Renick, WV
Enchanter's Garden - Hinton, WV
Ohio Prairie Nursery - Hiram, OH

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, The - Valhalla, NY
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
United States Botanic Garden - Washington, DC
Native Plant Society of Texas - Fredericksburg, TX
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX

Bibliography

Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, S.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Panicum virgatum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Panicum virgatum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Panicum virgatum