Switch Grass 'Cloud Nine'

Panicum virgatum (PAN-ih-kum ver-GAY-tum KLOWD NAIN)

Family: Poaceae Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Switch grass 'Cloud Nine' is a tall, erect, clumping, bluish-green, perennial, ornamental grass cultivar that grows up to 7 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide and is one of the tallest switch grasses. The leaves are initially metallic bluish-gray in the spring. By fall, they are golden-yellow and then turn a tannish-beige in the winter. This warm-season grass has airy clusters of tiny, pink-tinted blooms in mid to late summer, persisting into the fall and winter. Switch grass 'Cloud Nine' was introduced in Maryland at the former Bluemount Nursery. It is a member of the grass family (Poaceae). Prefers full sun, but it will tolerate partial shade. It prefers moist, sandy, or clay soils, but it tolerates a variety of soil types. It is dry- and wet-soil tolerant, as well as drought-tolerant. The foliage should be cut back to the ground in late winter or early spring. It is winter hardy in zones 5 to 9. Birds feed on its seeds, and the grass provides a nesting site for birds and small mammals. Switch grass 'Cloud Nine' will add interest to your landscape during the summer, fall, and winter, and may be planted in groups or mass plantings along borders, ponds, streams, or naturalized areas. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Generally, it is pest-free and disease-free. Monitor for Japanese beetles, thrips, and spider mites. In hot and humid climates, this grass may be susceptible to rust. Crown rot or root rot may occur. In deep shade, this grass will lose its vertical form and tend to fall over. More information on Panicum virgatum .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 48 attributes.