Growing guide · Grasses

Panicum virgatum

How to grow Switch Grass 'Cheyenne Sky'.

Turns red before everyone else does.

Light
Full sun, part sun
Water
Low
Zones
4–9
Size
2–3 ft tall, 1–2 ft wide
Spacing
18–24 in. apart; mass it in threes or fives.
Pets
Not on the ASPCA pet-safe list; keep it out of reach
See sizes · from $61.99
Upright switch grass with blue-green blades turning wine-red and airy burgundy seed heads

Light

Full sun for the best color and straightest stems. Part sun works, with less red.

Water

Water weekly the first season. Established plants handle drought.

Planting and soil

Plant in spring or early fall, crown at soil level. Clay is fine as long as it isn't waterlogged.

Feeding

None needed. Rich soil makes switch grass lean.

Pruning

Cut to 4–6 in. in late winter or early spring.

Through the year

Slow to wake in spring. Red from early summer, seed heads by August, tan and upright through winter.

If something's off

Lodging (flopping) usually means too much shade or too much fertilizer. Slow spring start is normal; don't dig it up.

Plays well with

Plant it with friends.

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Stonecrop 'Neon'
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Why we stock it: Native, tidy, and colorful for months, at a size that works in small beds and pots.

Grows wild in 35 states (USDA PLANTS records). About 24 native butterfly and moth species use Panicum as a host (Narango et al. 2020).

That's everything we know about growing it. Thanks for reading.

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