Panicum virgatum 'Cloud Nine'

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switch grass 'Cloud Nine'

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Tall, deciduous, clump-forming, perennial grass, to 2m tall with an upright habit, and flat, linear, blue-green leaves, turning golden-yellow in autumn. Profuse airy, fine-textured sprays of tiny flowers, open green then golden, are produced from mid-summer to early autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5
Drought Resistance
Yes

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Poaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus
Panicum can be annual or perennial, evergreen or deciduous grasses, with flat, narrowly lanceolate leaves, with large finely branched panicles of small spikelets in late summer or autumn
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in any moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. See Ornamental grasses cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division in mid-spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Prairie planting
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Remove dead foliage and old flowered stems in spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free