Many species of Panicum are used as fodder for grazing animals and research is underway to use it as a cost effective biofuel.
P. virgatum is native to much of the United States (except the Far West). It bears clumps of narrow deep green or gray-green leaves. It's bloom begins midsummer. It's clusters open into loose, airy clouds of pinkish blossoms that fade into white, then brown. It's foliage turns yellow in the fall, gradually fading to beige.
| Plant Types: | Grass, Perennial |
| Light: | Partial Shade to Full Sun |
| Height: | 3 feet to 7 feet |
| Width: | 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches |
| Zones: | 5a to 9b |
| Bloom Color: | Pink |
| Bloom Seasons: | Late summer |
| Leaf Color: | Blue, Green, Silvery |
| Special Features: | Attractive foliage, Attracts birds, Deer resistant, Invasive, Naturalizing, North American native |
| Shape: | Upright or erect |
| Fertilizer: | Composted Yard Trimmings |
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Divide clumps in late spring or early summer or sow seeds in spring.
Annual and perennial, evergreen grasses with narrowly lance shaped or linear ovate leaves. P. virgatum grows to 3 feet in 3 foot wide clumps. Grows best in full sun. Works well in a border.
Airy, branched panicles of flowers are borne in late summer or fall.
Rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil. P. virgatum tolerates dry, sandy conditions as well as boggy soil.
Panicum is vulnerible to sugarcane mosaic virus, tar spot, rust, damping off, black ring, smut, leaf spots, and anthracnose.