Switch Grass

Panicum virgatum

Switch Grass image

Switch grass is a native plant that reaches a height of 3 to 6 feet. The plant blooms from July to February with pink-tinged branched flower clusters. The clusters turn beige as the seeds mature in fall with the seed plumes persisting well into winter. The seeds are a food source for birds in winter. Switch grass was an important component of the tallgrass prairie, which once covered large areas of the state.