Panicum virgatum is a foundational prairie grass known for its clumping form, upright habit, and airy seedheads. It plays a key ecological role in native grasslands and serves as an ornamental feature in diverse garden settings.
Height & Spread: 36 - 60 in x 24 - 36 in
Bloom Time: Late summer
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Preference: Wide range; from sandy to clay, drought to wet conditions
Watering Needs: Low to moderate
Deer Resistance: Deer tolerant
Native Status
This species is native to most of the continental United States and is a keystone component of tallgrass prairie ecosystems.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
Birds
- Seeds are eaten by native sparrows, finches, and other songbirds. Provides nesting cover and winter shelter for ground dwelling birds.
Butterflies
- Serves as a larval host plant for native Skippers such as Delaware Skipper and Common Wood Nymph.
Spacing & Landscape Use
Spacing Recommendations
- Space 24 - 36 in apart for mass plantings or structural groupings in habitat or ornamental gardens.
Landscape Placement
- Ideal for meadows, bioswales, and naturalized borders. Works well in mixed native plantings or as a tall structural backdrop in restoration designs.
Companion Plants
- Ratibida pinnata (Yellow Coneflower) - Nods above the grass canopy with bright yellow petals.
- Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem) - Creates layered native grass effects and supports similar wildlife.
- Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (Narrowleaf Mountain Mint) - Attracts pollinators and contrasts with grass form and texture.
- Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia) - Adds color and vertical spikes in damp soils near switchgrass.
- Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant) - Towers above with yellow daisy like blooms and supports prairie fauna.