Panicum virgatum - Switchgrass

Sizes available: #1 (Trade gallon), (also available as landscape plugs, please email)

Basics: zones 3-9, 24-36" x 24", full sun to part sun, hazy, pale pink clouds of tiny flowers held high above the foliage late summer into fall, turning a gold-brown, along with the foliage, as the season cools, tolerant as to soil type and various levels of moisture from medium-wet to dry. prefers a leaner soil.

Common names: Switchgrass, Wand Panic Grass, Wobsqua Grass, Blackbent, Wild Redtop, Tall Prairiegrass, Virginia Switchgrass 

Family: Poaceae

Origin/Distribution: This is a classic dominant species of the Tall Grass Prairie, widely distributed across North America. It is found on remnant prairies, pastures, and roadsides, and is native to Maine.

Habitat: stream banks, open woods, dry or moist grasslands

More: This is a warm season grass, which means it is slow to awaken in spring and does it's most active growing during the warm summer months. Ground-feeding songbirds and game birds will eat the seeds as will small mammals. Grasses are excellent cover for numerous species in both summer and winter. The dried stalks are beautiful in the later seasons. Will self sow if happy, good for a large meadow-type planting or in a large meadow-type bouquet, Larval host for (among others) the Tawny-edged Skipper, Polites themistocles, the Delaware Skipper, Anatrytone logan, and the Hobomok Skipper, Lon hobomok, all native to Maine. Deer resistant and salt/pollution tolerant.

According to Wikipedia, this grass is used "for soil conservation, forage production, game cover, as an ornamental grass, in phytoremediation projects, fiber, electricity, heat production, for biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and more recently as a biomass crop for the production of ethanol and butanol." All subjects worthy a deeper dive and the comprehensive Wikipedia entry will get you started.

Even more: Grasses are important habitat for native bees who use them for nesting material as well as for hibernation and nursery structures. Do not cut your grasses all the way to the ground. If you must, cut back to about knee height and leave the old stems in the clump permanently. The new growth will cover them over in no time and they will eventually rot away. Many bees have a lifecycle longer than one year and need dependable, consistent habitat to complete their journey. This cutting regime is applicable to other perennials with hollow stems, as well: cut back to knee height. It will look as intentional as cutting lower, but offer much richer habitat.

Source: Landscape plugs from New Moon, grown on by Honey Petal Plants or from Van Berkum Nursery grown from seed collected in New England

Image credit: Forest and Kim Starr via Creative Commons as found on North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, also Jelitto Staudensamen GmbH