Switchgrass

Panicum virgatum

Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 3–7 feet
Spread: 2–3 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 2.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 16 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Panicum virgatum — fruit photograph — Cecelia Alexander · CC0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Mid summer
Fruiting season: Fall

Recorded in 69 Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 230 animals.

Veery
Catharus fuscescens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Bachman's Sparrow
Aimophila aestivalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue-headed Vireo
Vireo solitarius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Sitta pusilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Canada Warbler
Wilsonia canadensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cerulean Warbler
Dendroica cerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Dendroica pensylvanica
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chuck-will's-widow
Caprimulgus carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Evening Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutus
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

26CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Panicum

Anatrytone loganDelaware Skipper, Logan Skipper, Black-Vein Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
Dargida rubripennisThe Pink-Streak
Dichagyris acclivisSwitchgrass Dart, Inclined Dart
Haimbachia albescensSilvered Haimbachia
Hesperia leonardusLeonard's Skipper, Blazing Star Skipper, Pawnee Prairie Skipper, Pawnee Montane Skipper
Hesperia sassacusIndian Skipper
Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout

Show all 26

Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
Lethe anthedonNorthern Pearly Eye
Leucania adjutaAdjutant Wainscot
Leucania linitaReed Wainscot, Linen Wainscot
Lon hobomokHobomok Skipper
Marimatha nigrofimbriaBlack-Bordered Lemon
Mocis texanaTexas Mocis
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Panoquina ocolaOcola Skipper, Long-Winged Skiiper
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Poanes viatorBroad-Winged Skipper
Polites egeremetNorthern Broken-Dash
Polites themistoclesTawny-Edged Skipper
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Elachista radiantella
Idioglossa miraculosa

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

35BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Panicum

Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Aix sponsaWood Duck
Anas creccaGreen-winged Teal
Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
Anthus spragueiiSprague's Pipit
Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck
Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
Calcarius ornatusChestnut-collared Longspur
Calcarius pictusSmith's Longspur

Show all 35

Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
Contopus virensEastern Wood-Pewee
Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
Dendrocygna bicolorFulvous Whistling-Duck
Dolichonyx oryzivorusBobolink
Fulica americanaAmerican Coot
Gallinula galeataCommon Gallinule
Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
Mareca streperaGadwall
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
Peucaea aestivalisBachman's Sparrow
Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow
Porzana carolinaSora
Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusYellow-headed Blackbird
Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Poaceae
Hardiness: Zones 5a–9b
Flower color: Yellow, pink, purple or red
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Fall
Fruit ends: Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Mid summer” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “Yellow, pink, purple or red” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Fruit ends · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 5a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “3–7 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Spread · “2–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Switch Grass

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Spreads by rhizomes. Spreads steadily into colonies by both rhizomes and re-seeding. Tennessee Smart Yards

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Switchgrass

At a glance

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Panicum