Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Poaceae


Landscape Uses:

Accent grass.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

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


George Rogers
Keith A. Bradley
George Rogers
Keith A. Bradley