Panicum (Switch Grass)
at Digging Dog

Including Panicum virgatum varieties Warrior, Prairie Sky, Heavy Metal, Cloud Nine, & Shenandoah

photo: Matt Lavin

Panicum

Switch Grass

The Panicums we’ve chosen are warm season prairie grasses native to North America. Resistant to heat, drought, and even extreme cold, Switch Grass boasts a cloud of inflorescences—a mystifying hologram of tiny red seeds that mature to black in late summer.

If grown en masse and not cut back until early spring, Panicums promise a lively winter show. After a frost, they stiffen and adopt the warm glowing color and soft rustling sound of wheat.

Panicum amarum ‘Dewey Blue’  

Bitter Switch Grass

Populating Delaware’s coastal sand dunes near the town of Dewey, noted grass expert, Rick Darke selected this kingly Panicum for its blue, oh-so-blue smooth glaucous blades and elegant fountainlike stance. Distinctive straight-up stems bolster light airy plumes, followed by caramel-colored seed heads persisting well into winter. ‘Dewey Blue’ is not only a stunning showman but an enduring workhorse whose slowly spreading rhizomes form clumps that are vital in stabilizing seashore ecosystems, as well as withstanding hot dry summers and varied garden soils.

Blooms August – October.

Size: 4'–5' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 3.

AVAILABLE JUNE 2013

Panicum amarum ‘Dewey Blue’ (G-0500)
Each $9.75
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Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’  

Tall Switch Grass

It’s not sky high, but ‘Cloud Nine’ does impart visions of grandeur as it rises into a massive, somewhat vase-shaped, blue-green form crowned by a mist of small inflorescences. Autumn brings golden tones to the foliage. This Panicum usually maintains its elegant shape through tough winter months, and is a dynamic partner with Salvia confertiflora for the rest of the season.

Blooms August–October.

Size: 6'–8' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 4.

Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’ (G-0082)
Each $9.75
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Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’  

Blue Switch Grass

Stiff, upright blades of green turn metallic blue and then warm pecan brown in the fall. We are fond of this dynamic, vertical accenting grass in drifts with Teucrium fruticans ‘Azureum’.

Blooms September–October.

Size: 4'–5' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 5.

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ (G-0021)
Each $9.75
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Panicum virgatum ‘Prairie Sky’  

Blue Switch Grass

The bluest of the Panicums and hardiest of the virgatums, this superb selection was discovered growing wild in a Wisconsin meadow by Roger Gettig. ‘Prairie Sky’s silvery inflorescences have tiny rust-colored accents, while its fast growing foliage echoes the bluish blades of Kniphofia caulescens in our mixed border.

Blooms July – October.

Size: 3'–5' high x 2-1/2' wide; hardy to zone 4.

Panicum virgatum ‘Prairie Sky’ (G-0080)
Each $9.75
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Panicum virgatum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’    

This exceptional vintage cultivar has withstood the test of time, touting the smallest, most upright foliar foundation with the brightest most enduring red blades of all our Panicum. Suave, fine textured silver-green blades, subtly blushed in late spring, ascend vertically and cushion a lovely diaphanous mass of branched pink-tinged flower panicles. “Red Ray Bush”, as it translates from German, begins broadcasting passionate fiery red foliage in August that ignites the late season border, while companions such as Aster ‘Raydon’s Favorite’, Sedum ‘Mr. Goodbud’ and Kniphofia ‘Yellow Cheer’ inject complementary color.

Blooms July–October.

Size: 4'–5' high x 2'–2-1/2' wide; hardy to zone 5.

Panicum virgatum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ (G-0059)
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Panicum virgatum ‘Ruby Ribbons’  

Touting long lasting appeal and color galore, this exceptional Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’ and Panicum ‘Hanse Herms’ cross was selected by Dr. Mark Brand from the University of Connecticut. Fantastic arching ribbons of foliage initially emerge in soft gray-greens, then in early summer, transmute a vibrant wine-red, which heightens as the season progresses. Loosely arranged, broad tapered blades forge an upright textural clump renowned for its unparalleled, richly hued fall finale, while hazy sand-colored inflorescences create winter interest, especially when overlaid with frost or snow. (pp#17,944)

Blooms August – November.

Size: 3'–4' high x 2'–2-1/2' wide; hardy to zone 4.

Panicum virgatum ‘Ruby Ribbons’ (G-0517)
SOLD OUT!
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Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’  

Red Switch Grass

One of the best of the red Panicums, ‘Shenandoah’ was selected from ‘Hänse Herms’ seedlings by Germany’s Hans Simon. Emerging green in midsummer, slender leaves take on red hues and, come September, are thoroughly transformed. Paired with Echinops ‘Arctic Glow’, the wine-infused theme is echoed and, backlit by the long light of late afternoon, the glow is ethereal.

Blooms August–October.

Size: 4' high x 2'–2-1/2' wide; hardy to zone 4.

Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ (G-0091)
Each $9.75
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Panicum virgatum ‘Trailblazer’  

Selected from the native prairie grasses of the Midwest for its larger, showier seed heads, this graceful new cultivar has a long list of admirers, including several butterfly species. Sheer red-tinted flower clusters wave good-bye to summer as blue-green blades flaunt a blaze of old golds and maroons that promise to brighten your autumn and maintain a winter presence.

Blooms September – October.

Size: 4'–5' high x 2'–3' wide; hardy to zone 5.

Panicum virgatum ‘Trailblazer’ (G-0076)
Each $9.75
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Panicum virgatum ‘Warrior’  

The cultivar name of this grass alludes to the blood red hues of the blades and to its strong growing power. Upright and arching, ‘Warrior’s inflorescences rise to 5 or 6 ft., as its red foliar hints intensify through the early season, turning deep reddish brown in late fall and eventually fading to the color of creamed honey. For an army of rosy color, plant with other grasses like Pennisetum orientale.

Blooms September–October.

Size: 5'–6' high x 2'–3' wide; hardy to zone 5.

Panicum virgatum ‘Warrior’ (G-0034)
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