Panicum 'Dallas Blues' is a bold switchgrass cultivar prized for its wide blue green blades and upright vase like habit. Reaching impressive heights with a dense form, it produces airy purple tinged flower panicles in late summer that transition to tan seed heads in fall.
Height & Spread: 60 - 72 in x 24 - 36 in
Bloom Time: Late summer to fall
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Preference: Average to moist, well drained soils; tolerates clay and periodic wetness
Watering Needs: Low to moderate once established
Deer Resistance: Generally unpalatable to deer
Native Status
This is a cultivated variety of Panicum virgatum, a species native to North America. It retains the ecological benefits of its native parent while offering enhanced ornamental features.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
Birds
- Seeds attract songbirds such as finches, sparrows, and juncos through fall and winter; dense foliage provides shelter for ground nesting species.
Spacing & Landscape Use
Spacing Recommendations
- Space 30 - 36 in apart to accommodate mature clump size and airflow.
Landscape Placement
- Excellent as a tall vertical accent, in back borders, native meadows, or as a specimen in large beds. Provides striking contrast to broad leaf perennials and low shrubs.
Companion Plants
- Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower) - Offers slender pink petals and height that complements the stature of ‘Dallas Blues’.
- Rudbeckia maxima (Giant Coneflower) - Tall blue green foliage pairs well with the switchgrass form while adding yellow flower accents.
- Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem) - Contrasts with finer texture and bronze fall color in prairie style plantings.
- Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) - Bright orange flowers draw pollinators and thrive in similar conditions.
- Monarda bradburiana (Eastern Bee Balm) - Provides early bloom color and supports native pollinators at the base of the grass.