Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' (Red Switchgrass)

Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' is a switchgrass cultivar commonly referred to as red switchgrass, due to its vibrant colors in the summer and fall. 'Shenandoah' grows to between three and four feet tall and produces finely textured reddish-pink panicles of small flowers which turn to beige seed plumes in the fall, persisting well into the winter.

Foliage emerges a bluish-green color in the spring, taking on red hues through the summer, before finally taking on purple and burgundy tones in the fall. This cultivar's upright growth means that Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' stalks will last through the winter, when the plant takes on flaxen tones, providing cover and seed forage for birds and small mammals.