Switchgrass  Panicum virgatum 
                                                                                            Kenneth J. Sytsma from the Wisconsin State Herbarium website
 
Common Name Switch Grass
Scientific Name Panicum virgatum 
Height 3-5' 
 Sun/Shade Full sun, dry.
Soil Average, moist, well drained soil.  Sandy, gravelly, rocky
Color Blue green in summer, orange-yellow in fall
Notes Invasive species - use carefully and sparingly.  Good for erosion control. Better managed when planted in a pure stand.  Provides good winter shelter for wildlife and summer food for birds and mammals. Burn every 3-5 years.
Grasshoppers and leafhoppers are major pests of new seedlings.  Leaf rust an occasional problem.
  Prairie Nursery Heartland Restoration Possibility Place J&J Aquatic Nursery Earthly Goods
Costs
from Spring 2001 catalog
$2.00/oz
$18.00/lb
2" plug
$1.00 each

Seed
$1.00/oz
$6.20/lb

1 lb - $20.00 
10 lbs - $175.0

Information on Panicum virgatum:
- USDA's PLANTS database. Plant Fact Sheet: http://plants.usda.gov/plants/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=fact_sheet.cgi
- Wisconsin State Herbarium - http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/herbarium/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=PANVIRvVIR
- Deam, Charles C. Grasses of Indiana.  Indianapolis: WM. B. Burford Printing Co, 1929
- Prairie Nursery 2001 Catalog and Growing Guide.
- J&J Transplant Aquatic Nursery, LLC  2001 Wholesale Catalog and Price List.