Heavy Metal Switch Grass

For a striking, metallic-blue ornamental grass, look no further than the Heavy Metal Switchgrass. Tall enough, at 5 feet in flower, to make a statement, it isn’t so big as to overwhelm a small space, making it a great choice if you have limited garden space, or a city garden. It starts the season as an upright clump of rich, purple-blue leaves 3 feet tall, and then in summer an abundance of taller flower stems rise up, expanding into beautiful, airy sprays of pink-tinted flowers and red seed heads. As fall sets in, the whole plant turns yellow and then soft beige, staying upright and looking great well into the winter months. Ornamental grasses are super-popular, because they give so much beauty for so little care. Plant this one among perennials or among shrubs – it fits in everywhere, and looks great everywhere, from formal gardens to wild, prairie-style ones. A selection of a native plant, it ticks that box too, and is loved by seed-eating birds all through winter.

• Neat, upright clump of purple-blue leaves to 3 feet tall
• Late-season open panicles of flowers and seeds brings it to 5 feet tall
• Clump-forming, this is one grass that isn’t going to take over
• Stays upright through winter, in a charming tan-beige color
• Valuable for damp to wet areas, but fine in ordinary gardens too

the Heavy Metal Switchgrass is best in full sun, but a couple of hours of shade in a day won’t bother it. It’s very tolerant of soil conditions, growing in ordinary soils, with good drought tolerance once established, yet it also thrives in moist to wet conditions, and is great beside water, and will even tolerate occasional flooding. Grows best in areas with dry summers, and you might see some leaf damage in very humid, hot conditions. Otherwise it is typically free of pests or diseases of any significance. Cut down to a couple of inches tall anytime between late fall and early spring, but remember to do it before new growth starts to show, or you might end up damaging the new leaves.