PlantFiles: Switch Grass, Wand Panic Grass
Panicum virgatum

Please do not plant in Hawai'i, potentially very invasive.

Provides winter interest, although more for its structure and not its color as with some other prairie grasses (e.g., little bluestem). It has very fine, attractive seed heads.

It can be a bit more aggressive than some native prairie grasses, but shouldn't be too difficult to control. It tolerates a wide range of soils from wet-mesic to dry, and is drought tolerant (although not as tolerant as some other native tall prairie grasses like indian grass or big or little bluestem).

Birds eat the seed, so it provides important winter forage for them. Also a good ground cover for wildlife.

Shouldn't need stratified, as seeds germinate fairly readily when sown in warm soil (>60 deg. F).

This grass was mentioned in George Bush's 2006 State of the Union address as a possible source of energy. It is considered a potentially important source of ethanol, as it yields considerably more ethanol than does a comparable amount of corn, which is the most common source of ethanol fuel in the United States.

This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions and may kisplace desireable vegetation if not properly managed. It is native to all of the US except CA and the Pacific NW. It grows 3-5 feet tall and is used as nesting areas for pheasants, quail and rabbits. The seeds also provide food for many birds and animals.