Heavy Metal switchgrass
Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'
RHS AGM 2018
USDA zones5 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size4 to 5 feet tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Clumping
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Pink-tinged
- Fall color
- Yes
- Soil types
- Sand, clay
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
'Heavy Metal' switchgrass (Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal') is a grass for borders, accents, and winter interest. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to wet, sandy or clay soil. It forms a tidy clump with pink-tinged blooms, and butterflies and birds visit it. Deer tend to browse other plants first. Its upright stems hold their shape through winter.
Pairs well with Great blue lobelia, Witch hazel, and Karl Foerster feather reed grass.