Common name: Switch Grass
Family: Poaceae, Grass
Height x width: 3-4' for cultivars, 5-8' for species, x 2'
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: 2-3' long and ½" wide, flat, glabrous; often more green in summer and more reddish in fall, turning tan in winter
Flowers: fine textured panicle to 2' long in mid to late summer, dark red to purple flowers fading beige
Hardiness: zones 4-9
Soil: well-drained, moist prefered but tolerates dry
Light: sun, more open and falls over in part shade
Pests and Problems: none serious
Landscape habit, uses: borders, low screen, substitute in North for less hardy Imperata; tolerates wind and salt spray, wildlife cover grass, native areas, dried flowers; best in groups of at least 3
Other interest: related to grain crop millet (miliaceum); native to North America; from Latin name for millet
Other culture: low maintenance
Propagation: spring division, species by seed
Species:
clandestinum (clan-des-tii' num)--Deer Tongue Grass, prefers moist and part shade, zones 6-9
virgatum (vir-gaa' tum)--main species of commerce and cultivars
Cultivars: (of virgatum)
Those marked * are most seen in U.S. commerce.
| Cultivar | height | foliage | other |
| 'Cloud Nine' | 7-8' | light blue | golden flowers |
| *'Haense Herms' | 3-4' | reddish | Red S.G., good red fall color |
| *'Heavy Metal' | 4-5' | metallic blue | stiff leaves, upright |
| 'Rehbraun' ('Red Bronze') | 3-4' | reddish | not as red as 'Haense Herms' |
| *'Rotstrahlbusch' | 3-4' | reddish | Red S.G., best red color |
| 'Rubrum' | 3-4' | reddish | red in fall, brown seedheads |
| 'Squaw' | 3-4' | reddish | pink flowers |
| 'Strictum' | 3-4' | green | narrowly upright |
| 'Warrior' | 4-5' | reddish | red in fall |
Return to Perry's
Perennial Pages | HGPO
course | PSS123 course