| Scientific Name: | Panicum virgatum |
| Common Name: | switch grass |
| Family Name: | Poaceae |
| Origin: | Mexico, North America |
| Hardiness Zone: | Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C) |
| Plant Type: | Poales (grass-like) |
| Mature Size: | 0.7 - 1.3m x 0.6 - 1.0m (height x width) |
| Habit: | Arching, Stiffly upright, Upright |
| Form: | Oval - vertical |
| Texture: | Medium - fine |
| Landscape Uses: | Accent plant, Container planting, Cut flower or foliage, Fall interest, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Specimen plant, Summer interest, Wildlife food |
| Exposure: | Full sun |
| Soil or Media: | Humus rich, Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained |
| Leaves: | Grass-like, Alternate, Basal, Soft flexible, Parallel venation, Glabrous, Linear, Serrulate |
| Flowers: | Spikelet, Green, Jul-Aug |
| Fruit: | Grain (caryopsis), Green, Red, Brown, Sep-Oct |
| Key ID Features: | |
| Upright grass (60-)70-90(-200)cm tall, usually unbranched, from hard, scaly rhizomes; leaves blades flat 20-40(-50)cm long x 3-15mm wide, ligule 1.5-4(-7)mm long with ciliate margin; spikelets 3-5mm long, arranged in open, pyramidal panicles 20-40cm long. | |