Panicum 'Northwind'

Perennial Plant Association's Plant of the Year 2014; Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit

Panicum 'Northwind' is a warm-season, deciduous, perennial grass offering year-round interest. A long-lived native ornamental grass, bold and bodacious, 'Northwind' retains a striking upright, columnar form throughout the season. In late summer to early fall, a multitude of airy, pink-tinged white flower plumes enhance the pillar of olive to bluish green blades as they turn wheat color in fall. The multi-branched plumes persist into winter, turning beige as the showy billowing seed heads mature, lending winter interest to the garden and providing a welcome late-season food source for birds.

A Panicum virgatum cultivar, commonly called switchgrass, 'Northwind' is an herbaceous grass with an erect, narrow, clump-forming habit and moderate growth rate. Rhizomatous, the plant slowly spreads. Panicum 'Northwind' makes a stunning vertical accent plant, but planted in mass, it creates a beautiful structural backdrop in beds and is effective as a screen and as erosion control. This switchgrass can also be grown in boggy areas around ponds and water features.

Cold hardy, low maintenance, and relatively trouble free, Panicum 'Northwind' prefers full sun to part shade and moist, sandy or clay soils but tolerates a wide range of growing conditions, including wet, dry, and salty conditions. Do not fertilize or plants will flop. Once established, it can withstand drought and extreme cold. In late winter to early spring, cut back the plant to the ground if desired. Deer and black walnut resistant.

A native plant, Panicum 'Northwind' is indigenous to North America. Native plants are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Naturally adapted to the climate and soil conditions of the region, they thrive without fertilizers or extra watering, once established. They also act as natural pest controls, reducing the need for pesticides in the garden. Landscaping with native plants promotes biodiversity and provides shelter and quality food for wildlife and pollinators, bringing gardens to life.