Switch Grass

Grasses native to grasslands in North America that also make excellent ornamental plants. Extremely hardy; the roots may penetrate as deep as 10 feet into the soil. They can be cut down to 8 inches in height during winter - do not cut lower since you will be removing the plants insulation from extreme cold.
Deer resistant.

* photo taken on July 30 2013 in Grand Bend, Ontario

* photo taken on Oct 17 2013 in Howard Co., MD

Panicum amarum ( Bitter Panicgrass )
A deep rooted, rhizomatous perennial grass, reaching up to 8 feet in height, that is native to coastal sand dunes in central and eastern North America ( from Texas to Cape Cod, Massachusetts; south to Northeastern Mexico to south Florida, the Bahamas and Cuba ). It is also native to a few inland locales including northwest New Mexico, central Alabama, central North Carolina, southeast Virginia, central West Virginia and northwest Pennsylvania ). It is endangered in Connecticut and Rhode Island. The extensive root system up to 6 feet deep, makes this grass an ideal choice for dune stabilization projects.
The leaf blades are up to 20 x 0.5 inches in size. The foliage is blue-green.
The flower panicles are up to 32 x 7 inches in size. The seeds that follow are valuable food for quails and doves.
Hardy zones 4 to 9 in full sun to partial shade on sandy, well drained soil. It is highly drought tolerant and moderately salt tolerant.

* USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

'Atlantic'
A cultivar, reaching up to 6 feet, originating with the USDA. It is used for sand dune stabilization, mine reclaimation and bio mass production on the east coast from Connecticut south. It is fast growing and can spread up to 3 feet per year from its rhizomes.
Hardy zones 7 to 9, it has excellent wind and salt tolerance.

* Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

'Dewey Blue' ( Dewey Blue Switch Grass )
Reaches up to 6.2 x 8 ( rarely over 4 x 6.5 ) feet with bright blue powdery blue foliage that turns to yellow during autumn.
The flower panicles are bluish, turning to tan-brown during late summer into autumn.
Thrives in full sun to partial shade and is tolerant of both wet and dry conditions. Hardy zones 4 to 9 in full sun to partial shade.

* photo taken on July 20 2019 in Ocean City, MD

Panicum virgatum ( Switch Grass )
A vigorous, large clumping, rhizomatous grass with foliage reaching up to 5 x 5 feet or 7 ( rarely 10 ) feet in height while in bloom and native to North America ( from Wyoming to southern Saskatchewan to southern Manitoba to Kenora, Ontario to Thunder Bay, Ontario to Manitoulin Island to Petawawa, Ontario to southeast Quebec to Nova Scotia; south to Mexico to Florida ). It was an important part of our original tall grass prairie ecosystem in the Great Plains. In the Windsor/Essex County, Ontario region it was rare before the mass deforestation of the late 1800s, except for the east beach of Point Pelee where it was very abundant on open sand. It was also common on the Lake Erie Islands and the Ohio shore. The Switch Grass is attractive even dried during the winter. They typically have green foliage though some of the cultivars are blue.
The flat leaves, are up to 36 x 0.6 inches in size, turning yellow or often reddish in autumn.
The abundant, feathery inflorescences are borne late summer into autumn.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun and very easy to grow on any moist, fertile soil, even tolerating the most horrendous clay. The root system may penetrate as deep as 10 feet, allowing the Switch Grass to tolerate severe drought. Drought, wind and salt tolerant ( excellent for seashore locations ). Deer and rabbit resistant.

* photos taken on Sep 16 2013 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Aug 5 2015 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Sep 2 2015 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on July 18 2016 in Grand Bend, ON

* photos taken on Aug 20 2016 @ Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, MD

* photo taken on Sep 18 2017 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 28 2017 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 27 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Oct 29 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on July 2 2019 @ Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, Laurel, MD

* photos taken on July 24 2021 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Aug 23 2021 in Grand Bend, ON

* photos taken on Nov 3 2021 in Columbia, MD

'Apache Rose'
Forms an upright, compact, vase-shaped clump, reaching up to 4.2 x 3.6 feet.
The foliage is blue-green, with the tips during rosy-pink during autumn. The leaf blades are up to 16.2 x 0.6 inches in size.
The flower panicles, up to 13 x 5 inches in size, are rosy-pink.
Hardy zones 4 to 9

* photo taken on Oct 1 2021 in Burtonsville, MD

* photos taken on Oct 17 2023 in Laurel, MD

* patent photo

'Blood Brothers'
An introduction from St Thomas, Ontario that originated as a sport of 'Heavy Metal'. It is upright in habit, reaching up to 5 x 3 feet.
The blue-green foliage develops deep red tones during mid-summer, deepening into autumn.
The flowers are also reddish.
Hardy zones 4 to 9.

'Blue Tower'
A huge clone, upright in habit, reaching 10 x 4 ( rarely over 8 ) feet, with intensely blue-green foliage.
The narrow foliage turns to golden-yellow during autumn.
The purplish-green flower plumes are borne during early autumn.

'Cape Breeze'
Compact and upright in habit, reaching up to 2.5 x 2.5 feet in 2 years, eventually to 3 x 2.5 feet.
The foliage usually stays green until the beginning of November.
Hardy zones 4 to 9.

* photos taken on Aug 5 2017 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

* photo taken on Sep 3 2017 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

* photos taken on Nov 10 2020 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

* photo taken on Aug 1 2022 in Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

* photo taken on Sep 16 2023 in Columbia, MD

'Cheyenne Sky'
Compact with tight, vase-shape habit, reaching a maximum size of 5 x 4.2 ( rarely over 3 ) feet.
The blue-green ( tinged purple ) foliage turns intense deep-red in fall. The leaf blades are up to 13 x 0.4 inches in size.
The purplish-red flower plumes, up to 12 x 10 inches in size, are borne late summer into early autumn.

* patent photo

'Cloud Nine' ( Giant Blue Switch Grass )
Forms a strong growing, massive clump of foliage reaching up to 8 x 10.3 feet topped by cloud like, red-brown plumes reaching up to 9 feet in height, from late summer through autumn.
The foliage is metallic light blue and turns to golden-yellow during autumn.
Big and bold; this is an excellent substitute for Miscanthus.
Introduced by Bluemont Nursery in Monkton, Maryland.

* photo taken on Aug 13 2017 @ Howard Comm. College, Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Aug 9 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 22 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Nov 3 2022 in Columbia, MD

'Dacotah'
Rhizomatous, reaching up to 5 feet in height. It is an extra cold and drought hardy cultivar originating in north-central North Dakota that is mostly grown for use as bio-fuel and grazing. It is also useful for erosion control and wildlife protection on the northern Great Plains and western Great Lakes. It is a release from the USDA.
The foliage is finer-textured than many other Panicum virgatum cultivars. The attractive bright green foliage turns to red late during summer. The seeds ripen during August, earlier than most cultivars.
Hardy zones 2 to 4

* Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

'Dallas Blues'
Reaches up to 7.2 x 8.3 ( rarely over 6 x 5 ) feet with wide ( up to 1.5 inches ) powdery-blue foliage that turns to golden-yellow during autumn.
The seed heads are very large, to 24 + inches and football shaped. They are purplish blue turning to intense orange-tan color and lasting through the winter.


* photo taken on Aug 3 2012 in London, Ontario

* photo taken on July 15 2013 in Harford Co., MD

* photos taken on Sep 21 2013 in Harford Co., MD

* photos taken on June 20 2014 in Harford Co., MD

* photos taken on Oct 2 2016 in Harford Co., MD

'Gunsmoke'
Dense and upright in habit, reaching up to 4 x 3 feet in 3 years, eventually up to 4.5 feet in height.
The stunning foliage is intensely powdery blue-gray. The leaf blades are up to 21 x 0.4 inches in size.
The flower plumes, up to 4.5 feet high, are silvery-purple.
Hardy zones 4 to 8

* patent photo

'Haense Herms' ( Red Switch Grass )
A tall grass reaching up to 6 x 5 feet with fall flowers held well above the fine-textured, green foliage which turns to striking orange-red in autumn. It is less likely to get flattened by high winds than other cultivars.

* photo taken on August 2 2010 in Goderich, Ontario

* photo taken on Sep 3 2017 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

'Heavy Metal'
Very stiff and upright in habit, to 6 x 8 feet ( height to 8 feet while in bloom ) with very attractive, metallic blue foliage that turns to yellow in autumn.
The sturdy stems do not need staking. The pinkish flower plumes are borne late summer into early autumn.
It is an introduction of Kurt Bluemel in Maryland.

* photos taken on Aug 13 2017 @ Howard Comm. College, Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Sep 23 2021 in Columbia, MD

'Heilinger Hain'
Similar to 'Heavy Metal' except only reaching up to 4 feet and with the broad blue foliage turning intense burgundy-red early in autumn.

'Hot Rod'
Moderate growing and upright in habit, reaching up to 3 x 1.5 feet in 2 years, eventually to 5.2 x 3.8 ( rarely over 3.6 x 2 ) feet.
The foliage is blue-green, quickly turning to deep red during summer. The leaf blades are up to 14 x 0.5 inches in size.
The flower panicles are pale purple.
Hardy zones 4 to 9.

* patent photo

'Niagara Falls'
Forms a fast growing, dense, upright clump up to 4 x 4.5 feet.
The foliage is intensely powdery-blue. The leaf blades are up to 30 x 0.6 inches in size.
Hardy zones 4a to 8

* patent photo

'Northwind'
Vigorous and stiffly upright in habit, reaching up to 7 x 5.1 feet.
The thick, broad, steel-blue to deep green leaves turn to yellow during autumn.
The airy whitish plumes appear during early autumn.
Hardy zones 4 to 9.

* photos taken on Sep 15 2013 in Howard Co., MD

* photo taken on Oct 6 2021 in Howard County, MD

'Prairie Dog'
It forms a very sturdy upright clump, reaching up to 3.5 x 1.8 feet in 2 years, eventually to 4 x 3 feet.
The intense blue-green foliage begins to transition to deep red during early summer. The leaf blades are up to 12 x 0.4 inches in size.
The rosy-purple panicles, up to 12 x 5 inches in size, appear slightly higher than the foliage during late summer.
Hardy zones 4 to 9

* patent photo

'Prairie Fire'
Reaches up to 6.6 x 6.2 ( rarely over 5.1 x 4.7 ) feet, with foliage that emerges blue-green, turning deep red tinged by early summer.
During late fall, the foliage makes another transition to deep yellow. The leaf blades are up to 20 x 0.5 inches in size.
Hardy zones 5 to 9.

* patent photo

'Prairie Sky'
It is hardy one zone colder than other cultivers and has awesome intense powdery blue foliage that is not as rigid as 'Heavy Metal' . Strong growing, tall and upright, to 6.2 x 7 feet, it is topped in late summer with billowing amber-brown plumes. Its foliage appears earlier in spring than most other cultivars and its sturdy stems do not need staking. Excellent fall color.

* photo taken on July 4 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

* photo taken on Aug 9 2020 in Columbia, MD

'Purple Tears'
Moderate growing, narrow and strongly-upright in habit, reaching up to 4 x 1.5 feet in 4 years, eventually slightly wider.
The foliage is bright green. The leaf blades average 10 inches long.
The purple seed heads appear during late summer into autumn.
Hardy zones 4 to 8

* photo taken on Nov 10 2020 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

'Ruby Ribbons'
Vigorous but dense, compact, upright and vase-shaped in habit, reaching up to 3 x 4.1 ( 4 in bloom ) feet in height. The sturdy foliage rarely flops over.
The blue-green foliage turns to purplish-red during mid-summer. The leaf blades are up to 16 x 0.3 inches in size.
The flower plumes are grayish-purple.
They are followed by seeds that persist well into winter.
Hardy zones 4 to 9.

* photo taken on Oct 21 2014 @ Smithsonian Inst., Washington, DC

* photo taken on Oct 17 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Oct 1 2021 in Burtonsville, MD

'Shelter'
A rhizomatous, stiffly-upright grass, reaching up to 5 feet, that was bred for use in the northeastern U.S., Ontario, Quebec and the Canadian Maritimes. It is mostly grown for pasture hay, biofuel, wildlife habitat and erosion control.
The foliage is mid-green, turning to tan during autumn. The thick stems allow it to remain upright, even during winter snowfalls.
The plumes appear during mid-summer with the seeds ripening during early autumn.
Hardy zones 3 to 6. It is moderately drought and salt tolerant. It is not as tolerant of poor drainage as many cultivars.

* Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

'Shenandoah'
Reaching up to 4 x 4.5 feet ( 5.5 x 6.5 feet in bloom ) with deep-red plumes in early summer and with the entire plant turning from blue-green to intense burgundy red in late summer and autumn. A great companion plant for Echinops ‘Arctic Glow’.
Hardy zones 2 to 9

* photo taken on Aug 25 2011 @ Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, PA

* photos taken on Sep 20 2012 in Ellicott City, MD

* photo taken on Sep 14 2013 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Sep 21 2013 in Harford Co., MD

* photos taken @ U.S. Botanical Garden, Wash., DC on Aug 25 2014

* photos taken on Sep 8 2015 in Ellicott City, MD

* photo taken on Aug 4 2016 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Sep 1 2016 in Ellicott City, MD

* photo taken on Oct 2 2016 in Harford Co., MD

* photo taken on June 12 2017 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Aug 13 2017 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Aug 9 2018 in Ellicott City, MD

* photos taken on Oct 30 2018 in Annapolis, MD

* photos taken on Aug 5 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Nov 3 2022 in Columbia, MD

'Strictum'
Can be grown from seed, this variety is stiff and upright in habit, reaching up to 6 x 5.5 feet, with excellent blue-green foliage. The foliage turns to golden-yellow during autumn.
The purplish flower plumes are borne late summer into early autumn.

'Summer Sunrise'
Compact and upright in habit, reaching up to 4 x 3 feet in size.
The broad blue-green foliage turns to pinkish-gold during autumn then later to tan.
It bears abundant soft pink flower inflorescences during summer.
Hardy zones 4 to 9

* photo taken on Oct 1 2021 in Burtonsville, MD

'Thundercloud'
The hybrid between Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’ and P. virgatum ‘Northwind’, it forms a massive clump reaching up to 7 feet without blooms and up to 8 x 8.1 feet while in bloom. It is sturdily upright in habit, often retaining its habit even after high winds and torrential rains.
The foliage is blue-green.
The very large, pinkish-tan flower panicles appear during late summer.
Hardy zones 4 to 8

* photo taken on Aug 13 2017 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Aug 9 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Oct 6 2021 in Howard County, MD

* photos taken on Nov 3 2022 in Columbia, MD

* patent photo

'Totem Pole'
Sturdy and very upright in habit, forming a clump up to 6.6 x 3 feet in 3 years.
The foliage is bluish-green. The foliage reaches a height up to 5.7 feet. The leaf blades average up to 26 x 0.4 inches in size.
The flower plumes, up to 19 x 9 inches in size, are golden-yellow.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 ( possibly colder )

* photos taken on Sep 27 2021 in Laurel, MD

* patent photo

'Warrior'
Strong growing, upright and arching, reaching up to 6 x 7 feet, with foliage that reddens during late summer and intensifies during autumn.
The purplish flower plumes are borne late summer into early autumn.

* photo taken on June 30 2013