Prairie Sky Switch Grass

One of the very best of all the blue-leaf grasses, the Prairie Sky Switchgrass is an outstanding choice for an ornamental grass, making a bold, upright clump of sparkling silver-blue leaves that you will adore. As summer progresses tall flower stems rise up to 6 feet, opening into large, airy sprays of purple-tinged flowers and seed heads. Yet this grass is safely clump-forming, and doesn’t spread as older grasses did. It stays standing well into winter, providing seeds for hungry birds, and a beautiful show of soft golden-beige for us. It’s a great choice among perennials or shrubs, and looks perfect in any style of garden you might have. For a great feature that is also very low-maintenance, plant a selection of different grasses in their own bed, varying heights, leaf-width and colors – you will be amazed at just how good it looks. Beautiful for most of the year, this is a plant that really delivers, and does it with so little attention from you. A real beauty, this is also a selection of one of our native grasses, so it fits perfectly into the most natural garden – as perfectly as it fits into a more formal setting.

• Bold, striking clump of brilliant silver-blue foliage
• Large, open sprays of flowers stand 6 feet tall from mid-summer through winter
• Completely non-invasive, staying in a compact clump
• Damp tolerant, and ideal beside ponds and streams, as well as in ordinary soils
• Leave trimming for early spring, to enjoy the beautiful soft tones through winter

Plant the Prairie Sky Switchgrass in full sun for the best blue coloring, but it will also do well in a spot with only partial sun. It grows happily in any kind of soil, tolerating normal summer dryness, but also growing in wet soils, and even taking occasional flooding – something most grasses won’t tolerate. It grows well in sandy soils, but also in clay and poorer, city soils too. It prefers regions with drier summers, and may show some foliage damage when grown in very hot and humid regions. Otherwise it is free of any serious pest or disease problems in most areas. It stands boldly upright without assistance, and the only care needed is an annual cut-down, to just a few inches tall. That can be anytime between late fall and early spring, but do it before new growth starts, or you may damage the new leaves, reducing it’s beauty.