Dallas Blue Switch Grass

Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blue'

Dallas Blues Switch Grass is a dense fast-growing ornamental grass native to the prairies of North America.  The stiff upright grayed blue-green foliage turns rust-brown to warm tan in fall.  In mid-summer stems holding unusually large airy clusters of small purple-tinged flowers raise above the foliage like a cloud which turn brown 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:  Tickseed, Blanket Flower, Salvia

Image: Photo by David J. Stang, Panicum virgatum Dallas Blues 3zz, CC BY-SA 4.0