Switch Grass 'Dallas Blues' (Panicum virgatum): A Tall, Blue-Foliaged Native Grass

Switch Grass 'Dallas Blues' is a striking cultivar of the native North American prairie grass Panicum virgatum. Selected for its intense blue-gray foliage and robust, upright habit, it was introduced by Rick Smith in 2000 (PP11202).

Seasonal Interest

This warm-season grass forms a dense clump 5–6 feet tall. The broad leaves are a vivid powder-blue throughout summer. In late summer, airy, pink-tinged flower panicles rise above the foliage, turning tan in fall and persisting into winter. The foliage turns golden-yellow in autumn, providing multi-season interest.

Landscape Uses

'Dallas Blues' thrives in full sun and a wide range of soils, from clay to sand. It is drought-tolerant once established and tolerates periodic flooding. Use it as a specimen, in mass plantings, or in rain gardens. It provides habitat for birds and pollinators. Cut back to the ground in late winter before new growth emerges.