Switchgrass 'Heavy Metal'
- Shipping Available
- In stock, ready to ship
Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'
Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal' is a beloved switchgrass that charms with its stunning metallic blue foliage and upright form. In July, airy blooms with a delightful pink tint emerge, beautifully highlighting the blue of its leaves. This captivating blue switchgrass pairs wonderfully with other grasses and perennials and truly shines in larger groups or as a standout single plant. Being a cultivar of the native Panicum virgatum, it’s perfect for meadows and natural areas since it's adaptable to various soils and can handle drought conditions with ease. It loves full sunlight and should be treated gently with fertilization. Plus, it’s one of the oldest and best-known blue cultivars of Panicum!
Switchgrass, or Panicum virgatum, is an ornamental grass that hails from Texas. It once played a vital role in the expansive tallgrass prairie of the state. This lovely warm-season grass grows in clumps and generally reaches about 3 feet tall. During its flowering season, it brings forth finely textured, pink-tinged branched flower panicles, which can elevate the plant’s height to an impressive 6 feet. In the fall, its medium green leaves transform into a warm yellow with orange highlights and later fade to a soft tan-beige in winter. As the seeds mature in the fall, the panicles turn beige, and their lovely plumes can provide a delightful source of food for birds, lingering beautifully into the winter months.
Switchgrass thrives in medium to wet soils and enjoys everything from full sun to partial shade. While it's adaptable to many soil types, it particularly enjoys moist, sandy, or clay soils. Though occasional flooding doesn’t faze it, overly rich soils might cause it to flop. This grass truly performs best in full sun; too much shade can cause it to lose its structured form, growing more loosely and possibly bending over. It primarily grows in clumps but will slowly spread through slightly creeping rhizomes. To keep it looking its best, be sure to cut back the clumps to the ground in late winter or early spring. Although these plants may self-seed under optimal conditions, cultivars might not reproduce true to type from seed.
Height: 3’-6’
Spread 2’-3’
Bloom: July-February
Light: Full Sun, Part Shade
Water: Medium
Zone: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Origin: Central United States
Spring Shipping:
Orders are shipped within 7-10 business days. We will email you if there are expected delays.
When you order plants from our nursery, you can expect them to arrive in the best possible condition. Our team carefully packs each order using sturdy, biodegradable packaging materials.
Your plants' appearance may vary depending on the season and their current growth stage. We may cut back the leafy growth of some plants to prepare them for shipment and transplanting.
5 Gallon and Up: Any plant purchased to ship over 5 Gallons will be shipped bare root. This means we will remove the plant from its original pot, remove the soil surrounding the roots, and wrap the roots with a biodegradable plastic bag. This reduces weight and the likelihood of damage during shipping.
Once your plants arrive, it is essential to plant them as soon as possible. This will help them rebound and thrive. If you cannot plant immediately, water regularly and keep the roots off heat-conducting surfaces.
Newly transplanted plants often require more water until their roots are well established. Plan to water them 1-3 times weekly for the first few months.
