Switchgrass
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Panicum virgatum
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Poaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Accent grass. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Availability: |
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Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida. |
Description: |
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Medium to large herbaceous grass. |
Height: |
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Typically 5-6 feet in height. Spreading from underground stems (rhizomes) and forming large patches. |
Growth Rate: |
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Moderate. |
Range: |
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Widespread in North America south to the Monroe County Keys; Bermuda, the West Indies (Cuba), Mexico, Central America and South America. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to Big Pine Key and nearby islands. |
Habitats: |
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Pinelands, coastal uplands and marshes. |
Soils: |
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Wet to moist, periodically inundated freshwater to brackish sandy or limestone soils, without humus. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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Reddish-brown inflorescence. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Inconspicuous. |
Flowering Season: |
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Summer-fall. |
Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous caryopsis. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Larval host plant for Delaware skipper (Anatrytone logan) and dotted skipper (Hesperia attalus) butterflies. Attracts pollinators. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed and divisions. |
Comments: |
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A widely cultivated plant with many cultivars. Only local sources should be used. |
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