Prairie Sky Blue Switch Grass
Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Sky'
Sky-blue flower plumes create an airy haze above strong blue-green stems and gracefully drooping leaves. Upright form is valuable as a single specimen or as a low, finely textured screen. Use in native and wild gardens or ceramic pots. Herbaceous.
| Key feature: | Easy Care Plant |
| Plant type: | Ornamental Grass |
| Garden styles: | Contemporary, Rustic |
| Deciduous/evergreen: | Herbaceous |
| Cold hardiness zones: | 4 - 9 |
| Light needs: | Partial to full sun |
| Sunset climate zones: | 1 - 11, 14 - 23 |
| Water Needs: | Needs regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat. |
| Average landscape size: | Fast growth to about 5 ft. tall in bloom, 2 to 3 ft. wide. |
| Growth rate: | Fast |
| Growth habit: | Narrow |
| Special features: | Easy Care, North American Native |
| Landscape use: | Firescaping/Fire Wise |
| Flower color: | Blue |
| Blooms: | Late summer |
| Foliage color: | Blue-green |
| Item no.: | 0569 |
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Care Information
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. For a neat appearance, remove old foliage before new leaves emerge. Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring.
Design Ideas
Great upright grass for prairie and meadow gardens or for small patches within a thematic wild gardens. Form makes good choice in rows and grids for modern architecture. Insert into native plant landscapes as well as traditional xeriscape compositions.
Companion Plants
Group panic grass with bold American natives such as Oklahoma Redbud, (Cercis canadensis var. texensis 'Oklahoma'), Merlot Coneflower, (Echinacea purpurea 'Merlot'), Indian Summer Black Eyed Susan, (Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer') and Kobold Gayfeather, (Liatris spicata 'Kobold').
History
This plant was once a primary component of the tallgrass prairies of America. Its range covers much of the nation except California and the northwest. Early breeding occurred in Germany and most of the early cultivars originated there. This variety was selected for its blue tint by Roger Gettig of Wisconsin.
Lore
The tallgrass prairie was all but lost when pioneers stripped the plants off its fertile soils for agriculture. Only in pioneer graveyards, never grazed or tilled, do we find this plant community in its original form.
Sky-blue flower plumes create an airy haze above strong blue-green stems and gracefully drooping leaves. Upright form is valuable as a single specimen or as a low, finely textured screen. Use in native and wild gardens or ceramic pots. Herbaceous.
Care Information
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. For a neat appearance, remove old foliage before new leaves emerge. Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring.
Design Ideas
Great upright grass for prairie and meadow gardens or for small patches within a thematic wild gardens. Form makes good choice in rows and grids for modern architecture. Insert into native plant landscapes as well as traditional xeriscape compositions.
Companion Plants
Group panic grass with bold American natives such as Oklahoma Redbud, (Cercis canadensis var. texensis 'Oklahoma'), Merlot Coneflower, (Echinacea purpurea 'Merlot'), Indian Summer Black Eyed Susan, (Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer') and Kobold Gayfeather, (Liatris spicata 'Kobold').
History
This plant was once a primary component of the tallgrass prairies of America. Its range covers much of the nation except California and the northwest. Early breeding occurred in Germany and most of the early cultivars originated there. This variety was selected for its blue tint by Roger Gettig of Wisconsin.
Lore
The tallgrass prairie was all but lost when pioneers stripped the plants off its fertile soils for agriculture. Only in pioneer graveyards, never grazed or tilled, do we find this plant community in its original form.
| Key feature: | Easy Care Plant |
| Plant type: | Ornamental Grass |
| Garden styles: | Contemporary, Rustic |
| Deciduous/evergreen: | Herbaceous |
| Cold hardiness zones: | 4 - 9 |
| Light needs: | Partial to full sun |
| Sunset climate zones: | 1 - 11, 14 - 23 |
| Water Needs: | Needs regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat. |
| Average landscape size: | Fast growth to about 5 ft. tall in bloom, 2 to 3 ft. wide. |
| Growth rate: | Fast |
| Growth habit: | Narrow |
| Special features: | Easy Care, North American Native |
| Landscape use: | Firescaping/Fire Wise |
| Flower color: | Blue |
| Blooms: | Late summer |
| Foliage color: | Blue-green |
| Item no.: | 0569 |
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The best fertilizer to use with this plant is All-Purpose Plant Food.view soil products