Joy Creek Nursery

301-009-1   Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'     ( Switch grass )

Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'
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We have found the switch grasses to be some of the easiest ornamental grasses to care for in our low water borders. However, as much as we love Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah', for example, it is a fairly short grass. Sometimes we need a taller grass. And so we are delighted to now grow this stately switch grass which was introduced by Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm in Wisconsin. Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' has fairly broad leaves which take on a shimmering gold color as the weather cools. The blades are 1/2 inch wide and curl inward slightly. Rick Darke in his The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Gardens says the the leaf has a thick cuticle that gives it its drought resistance. The airy inflorescences are about 8 inches in length and bloom within the tips of the leaves, not above them.

August to September.  6 ft. x 1 ft.



Sun     Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
 



20300 NW Watson Road  Scappoose, OR 97056
(503) 543-7474    (503) 543-6933 (FAX)
catalogue@joycreek.com