Cape Breeze Switch Grass, Panic Grass

Panicum virgatum 'Cape Breeze'

Cape Breeze Switch Grass is a compact fast-growing ornamental grass native to the prairies of North America.  The stiff upright foliage stays green for most of the season before turning reddish purple tips in fall.   In mid-summer stems holding airy clusters of tiny yellow-green flowers raise above the foliage like a cloud which turn bronze in fall and persist through winter.  Prefers part sun and moist well-drained soils.  

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  Low maintenance plant. Too much shade will lose its upright form.  Beetles and mites are occasional problems.  Root and crown rot may occur in poorly drained soils. Some susceptibility to rust.

LANDSCAPE USES: Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Naturalized Areas, Woodland Garden, Wildlife Gardens, Bog Gardens, Rock Gardens, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Blanket Flower, Tickseed, Sedum

IMAGE: Photo by klp.nyc, Panicum virgatum 'Cape Breeze' (switchgrass)