Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Sky' (Switch Grass) Unity Grown

Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Sky' is a tall cultivar of switchgrass, an upright, native perennial grass that grows to around four to five feet tall, and around six feet tall when in flower. 'Prairie Sky' is noted for its upright behavior and the heavier blue-gray tinge of its spring and summer foliage; 'Prairie Sky' is occasionally regarded as an improved version of 'Heavy Metal' switchgrass, due to its taller height and deeper blue hues.

Blue-green foliage emerges in the early spring and grows quickly through the summer before producing fine, pink-tinted flowers in mid summer which contrast and add depth to the gray-blue of the natural foliage. This cultivar's upright form persists through fall and winter, when it provides food and shelter for birds and small mammals, and its golden-tan and brown shades add lovely earthtones to the off-season garden. 'Prairie Sky' switchgrass tolerates a wide range of moisture and soil types, but performs best in medium moisture soils with good sand or clay presence in full to part-sun.