Switch Grass

Panicum virgatum

Switch Grass is most attractive late summer to fall, with emerging, purple cloud-like seed heads that sport tiny attractive flowers before shifting to dried golden foliage in fall.

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Introduction

Switch Grass is clump-forming and rhizomatous. It is a dominant grass of what was the vast tallgrass North American prairie. Switch Grass is a warm-season grass; it actively grows during the summer when soil temperatures are warm.

Consider not cutting Switch Grass back late fall in your garden; it holds up well in heavy snow providing winter cover for small mammals and land birds. Birds will also feed on the seeds and the dried foliage adds a splash of pale yellow to the winter landscape.

Switch Grass can be found at Gabis Arboretum in the Prairie.

About the Plant

Switchgrass is an incredibly important species for wildlife habitat. Many insects will feed on the grass. Many birds will be attracted to the grasshoppers and other bugs feeding on the grass. Many bird species will also feed on the seeds.

Voles, shrews, and mice will nest in clumps of the grass. Many creatures utilize Switchgrass as cover during winter and during the growing season. Elk and Buffalo will feed on this grass.