Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum)
[PAN-ih-kum ver-GAY-tum]

Deciduous Perennial in the Poaceae Family
 
Buy Switch Grass
Size Notes Price Availability
#1 gallon Field $12.20 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
#3 gallon Field $34.44 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
18 Flat Field $69.75 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
38 FLAT Field $86.58 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
50ct Plug Deep Flat Field $93.78 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4
Tray of 10 4" pots Field $62.78 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4

A warm-season, clump-forming native grass found throughout the tallgrass prairies of North America, including Illinois. Typically reaches 3-4ft, occasionally up to 6ft, spreading slowly by short rhizomes. Foliage is blue-green through summer, turning gold to reddish in fall. Airy, open seed heads appear in mid-to-late summer and persist into winter, providing food for songbirds and serving as a larval host plant for several skipper butterflies. Adaptable to a wide range of soils but performs best with some moisture.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 4 - 6 feet tall. 24 - 36 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 3a - 9b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Colorful Foliage, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Full Sun, Good for Accents, Good for Borders, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Grasses, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Illinois Native, Low Maintenance, Medium, Modern Garden, Native to North America, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Pond, Popular For Fall, Prairie Garden, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Salt, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period July
Flower Color Red
Foliage Color
 

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Piglet Fountain Grass
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

Switch Grass Available Soon

Heavy Metal Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal')
From $12.20

Shenandoah Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah')
From $12.20

Northwind Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Northwind')
From $12.20

Cheyenne Sky Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Cheyenne Sky')
From $18.33

Rotstrahlbusch Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Rotstrahlbusch')
From $14.92

Prairie Winds Apache Rose Switchgrass
(Panicum virgatum 'Apache Rose')
From $18.33
Haense Herms Switchgrass
(Panicum virgatum 'Haense Herms')
From $15.69

Purple Tears Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Purple Tears')
From $16.31

Prairie Dog Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Dog')
From $14.37

Prairie Winds Niagara Falls Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Niagara Falls')
From $88.35
Red Flame Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Red Flame')
From $79.05
Dust in the Wind Switchgrass
(Panicum virgatum 'Dust in the Wind')
From $27.85
Switch Grass
(Panicum virgatum 'Forestburg')
From $93.78

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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About Ordering From The Plant Club

To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

The next order is coming up soon. Here's a link to our ordering calendar. Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!


No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!