Switchgrass

Panicum virgatum L. - Grass family

Size

Mature Height: Up to around 5.0 feet

Plant Type: Graminoid

Root Depth: 12 inches

Growth Form: Rhizomatous

Growth Rate: Rapid

Features

Flower Color: Yellow

Conspicuous Flowers: No

Bloom Time: Mid Summer

Seasonal Growth: Summer

Evergreen: No

Fall Colors: No

Conditions

Shade Tolerance: Intolerant

Clay Soil Tolerance: Yes

Sandy Soil Tolerance: Yes

Drought Tolerance: Medium

Flood Tolerance: Medium

Fire Tolerance: High

Salt Tolerance: Medium

Ecosystem Interactions

Pollinators: Native Bees; Butterflies; Nesting and Structure (Bees); Larval Host (Butterfly); Wind

Larval Species depending on Switchgrass: Atrytone logan, Hesperia attalus, Hesperia leonardus, Hesperia leonardus leonardus

Native Range

  • USA:  Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
  • CAN:  Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Québec, Saskatchewan
  • MEX:  Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest
Regional Native Status: L48 (N), HI (I), CAN (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.