Page 19 - Free State Winter 2021

salt tolerant, able to provide color and texture when 4 feet tall. Panicum virgatum Prairie Winds® ‘Totem Pole’
planted along areas that are salted to melt ice in the can reach heights of 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The
winter or by salt water rivers, bays and the ocean. foliage is a steel blue with soft powder blue stems and
Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’ is one of the tallest of produces golden yellow flowers that turn to soft gold
the switchgrasses, with its blue-green foliage growing seeds in autumn.
5-6 feet tall. In early autumn, the soft golden yellow Sorghastrum nutan has been called both Indian grass
flowers float 2-3 feet above the foliage bringing the and yellow prairie grass, growing 3-5 feet tall with
height of ‘Cloud Nine’ to 8- 9 feet tall. Panicum virgatum upright 1-2 inch wide blue-green to green foliage that
‘Dallas Blues’ has gray-blue to blue-green foliage that is turn a glowing golden yellow into the autumn and
wider than most of the cultivars. In autumn, the foliage keeps some of the color through the winter. The clumps
softens to shades of warm tan to rusty brown. ‘Dallas of this warm season grass grows 2-3 feet tall and about
Blues’ can grow up to 5 feet tall when the purple tinged 2 feet wide with the ½-inch slender leaf blade. The stiff
flowers are in bloom. Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ flower stems rise about 2 feet taller than the foliage
grows 3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide with metallic-blue and are topped with feathery narrow coppery flower
foliage. The pink tinged flowers float up to 2 feet above panicle that are brightened with yellow stamens. The
the foliage. When autumn comes, the seeds turn a seeds darken to a chestnut bronze that softens to gray
soft beige and the foliage turns a soft yellow that will in winter. Indiana grass thrives in full sun and well-
fade to tan in the winter. ‘Heavy Metal’ seeds do not drained soils and performs well in dry, infertile of poor
grow true to the cultivar and any seedlings should be soils while rich moist soils may cause the grass to flop.
removed. Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ has olive-green Sorghastrum nutan is winter hardy from USDA zones 4-9,
to blue-green foliage that rises upward to reach 3-4 and are very competitive by self-seeding. Sorghastrum
feet tall and 2 -2 ½ feet wide clump. The finely textured nutans Golden Sunset™ is a new cultivar that exhibits
golden yellow flowers float about a foot over top of the stronger stems, thinner foliage that is olive green in
foliage. Both the seed heads and the foliage turn a soft color and yellow, golden bronze flowers that are 9
yellow beige in the late autumn and provides excellent inches long.
winter color and texture. Panicum virgatum ‘Prairie Fire’
is a cross between Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal and The landscapes that bloom with annual and perennial
‘Rotstrahlbush’ and has tall blue-green upright foliage flowers through the spring to the autumn can be
that turns a deep red wine color in early autumn. Plants enhanced with some of our own native grasses to
grow very densely up to 4-5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. add both color and motion and have spring, summer,
The rose pink flower panicles float over the foliage autumn and winter interest. There are colorful native
and turn beige in the late autumn. Panicum virgatum grasses that love full sun gardens and meadows and
‘Rotstrahlbusch’ has bright green foliage during the there are those that are shade tolerant. Some graceful
spring and summer months but turns burgundy red in native grasses need rich moist soils but many thrive in
the early autumn. Airy panicles of red tinged flowers poor, thin soils, holding on with strong deep roots to
bring the height of this switchgrass up to 4-5 feet tall. prevent erosion. A
Panicum virgatum ‘Ruby Ribbons’ also has blue-green
Photo credit: Ginny Rosenkranz
foliage that turns reddish purple in mid-summer. The
burgundy red seed heads float above the foliage Ginny Rosenkranz
bringing the plants up to a compact 2-3 feet tall. Extension Educator, Commercial
Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ starts out in spring Horticulture, University of Maryland
with blue-green foliage that rapidly turns a bright Extension, Dorchester, Sommerset,
burgundy red by June, growing to a compact height of Wicomico and Worchester County
410 749-6141 x106
3 feet. In summer, the airy reddish pink flower panicles rosnkrnz@umd.edu
float over the foliage brining the height of the plants to

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