Poaceae
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
- Family
- Poaceae
- Genus
- Panicum
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Common names
By language (22)
- Arabic
- ثمام عصوي, دخن عصوي
- arz
- ثمام عصوى
- Catalan
- Switchgrass
- Chinese
- 柳枝稷
- Czech
- Proso prutnaté
- Danish
- Prærie-Hirse, Staude-Hirse, Pryd-Hirse, Ris-Hirse
- Dutch
- Vingergras
- English
- Switchgrass
- Esperanto
- Verga milio
- Finnish
- Lännenhirssi, Luutahirssi
- French
- Panic érigé, Switchgrass
- German
- Rutenhirse
- Hebrew
- דוחן וירגטום
- Hungarian
- Vesszős köles, Ágas köles
- Japanese
- スイッチグラス
- Persian
- Switchgrass
- Polish
- Proso rózgowe
- Russian
- Просо прутьевидное
- Slovenian
- Trajno proso
- Spanish
- Mijo perenne
- Swedish
- Rödhirs
- Turkish
- Dallı darı
Synonyms
- Chasea virgata (L.) Nieuwl.
- Eatonia purpurascens Raf.
- Ichnanthus glaber Link ex Steud.
- Milium virgatum (L.) Lunell
- Milium virgatum var. elongatum (Vasey) Lunell
- Panicum buchingeri E.Fourn.
- Panicum coloratum F.Muell.
- Panicum giganteum Scheele
- Panicum glaberrimum Steud.
- Panicum ichnanthoides E.Fourn.
- Panicum kunthii E.Fourn.
- Panicum pruinosum Bernh. ex Trin.
- Panicum virgatum subsp. cubense (Griseb.) Borhidi
- Panicum virgatum var. breviramosum Nash
- Panicum virgatum var. confertum Vasey
- Panicum virgatum var. cubense Griseb.
- Panicum virgatum var. diffusum Vasey
- Panicum virgatum var. elongatum Vasey
- Panicum virgatum var. glauciphyllum Cassidy
- Panicum virgatum var. obtusum Alph.Wood
- Panicum virgatum var. scorteum H.P.Linder
- Panicum virgatum var. spissum H.P.Linder
- Panicum virgatum var. thyrsiforme H.P.Linder
- Panicum virgatum var. virgatum
Flowers
- In flower
- July to September (from 128 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
- Flower colour
- yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Graminoid
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: native, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: native
Photos
FlowerPhoto: Sam Kieschnick, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Anne Parker, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Jo Roberts, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Liliana Ramírez-Freire, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Cecelia Alexander, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Peter Chen 2.0, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Sam Kieschnick, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Sam Kieschnick, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Panicum
- Broomcorn milletPanicum miliaceumPoaceae
- Common panic grassPanicum capillarePoaceae
- Torpedo grassPanicum repensPoaceae
- Barefoot panicgrassPanicum sumatrensePoaceae
- Fall panic grassPanicum dichotomiflorumPoaceae
- Desert grassPanicum turgidumPoaceae
- Blue panicumPanicum antidotalePoaceae
- Hairy panic grassPanicum effusumPoaceae
- Desert panicgrassPanicum urvilleanumPoaceae
- KleingrassPanicum coloratumPoaceae
- Australian milletPanicum decompositumPoaceae
- Mexican panicgrassPanicum hirticaulePoaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.