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Panicum virgatum 'Haense Herms'

Switchgrass

A clump-forming grass that grows 4-5' tall with flower heads rising another 1' above the foliage, 'Haense Herms' offers steely blue foliage with red-tinged tips that become more prolific as the season progresses. Flower heads turn beige in fall with the seed plumes persisting well into winter. This bunch grass provides excellent cover and food for ducks, upland game birds, and songbirds.

Benefits

Provides nest sites, protective cover and food for birds
Showy red foliage and compact form
Great winter interest
Use flowers in fresh or dried arrangements
Tolerates a wide range of growing conditions, including poor or wet soils

Homeowner Growing and Maintenance Tips

Grows easily in full sun. Plant in average to dry soil. Leave foliage in place for winter interest and to provide homes for over-wintering critters. Cut back to the ground in late winter before new growth begins.. Plants will self-sow but are not invasive.


Height
4-5 Feet

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Spread
2-3 Feet

USDA Hardiness Zone 2-9

Native Range

Woodlands edge, breaks, fields, marshes, prairies and roadsides; Nova Scotia to Manitoba south to New Mexico and Florida.

Native Trivia

Clumping grasses like this are also known as bunch grasses. Use these grasses en masse mixed with meadow shrubs to provide ideal wildlife habitat. This kind of layout provides protective cover, quality nesting areas and open travel lanes.


"In winter, when food and cover are scarce, switchgrass is a provider of both for birds like me."

Characteristics & Attributes

Plan Sub Group
Medium to Tall Grasses
Exposure
Filtered Shade
Sun
Soil Moisture Preference
Average
Dry
Attracts Wildlife
Songbirds
Bloom Time
Summer
Habitat Collection
Songbird
Wet Sun
Foliage Color
Red
Native to
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming