Heavy Metal Switch Grass

The Heavy Metal Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'), also known as Blue Switch Grass, has a striking metallic blue leaf color. It has a very upright, erect growth habit and will not topple over in heavy rain.

Easy-care and very low maintenance, this unique grass sways and rustles in the breeze to offer so many sensory additions to the garden!

The clouds of pink blooms are made up of many tiny, pinkish-green flowers, lifted high on dainty stems. The vertical growing habit and amazing blue-green color on the blades shine in the sun!

In autumn, the entire plant takes on a bright-yellow autumn hue, and Heavy Metal seed heads persist into winter for wonderful drama in the landscape all year long!

How to Use Heavy Metal Switch Grass In The Landscape

The airy weeping plumes of pinkish, spike-like blooms rise high above the metallic blue foliage for a gossamer appearance in the late summer to the autumn garden. It is quite handsome when used in groups or as an accent plant in the landscape.

For a bold statement, a swath of Heavy Metal planted in drifts to define your property line or en masse to create a breezy atmosphere that helps prevent erosion. An excellent plant for meadows and naturalizing prairie-style gardens.

Ornamental grasses are always amazing partner plants in the perennial and butterfly gardens, working well with Daisy, Sunflowers, Coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susan and Salvias. Mixing and mingling well with all colors!

Perfectly sized for smaller lots and urban gardening, these are tolerant enough to not be bothered by conditions along roadsides or in less-than-optimal locations. Use as anchors around the landscape and foundation plantings for year-round appeal.

Planting in groups of 3 always looks wonderful when using ornamental grasses, with the vertical lines Heavy Metal has to provide sculptural accents and create little vignettes throughout garden beds and borders.

Use as a strong line behind your garden beds as a waving backdrop or in containers as a vertical privacy fence. They add an amazing designer touch to your landscape. Coastal gardens and formal gardens both benefit from this tough grass!

#ProPlantTips For Care

Heavy Metal Switch Grass loves the full sun as well as does well in part-shade however, in less than 6 hours of sun a day, may lose its vertical growth habit. Taking on a more open and weeping form.

This hardy native ornamental grass handles climates in USDA Zones 4 through 9. Heavy Metal is a warm-season perennial grass, so don't be alarmed when you don't see it first thing in early spring. These are a bit slow to emerge from winter, ensuring no early spring frosts will nip off the new growth.

Deer avoid this grass which makes it safe to plant along wooded edges and in large drifts in out-of-the-way areas, plus it provides excellent cover and food for wildlife. A water-wise plant it's great for Xeriscaping!

Heavy Metal is a native grass of North America. So it is tough and can tolerate many soils and growing conditions. Plant Panicum in average to moist soil that is well-draining. Plus, this grass can thrive in or clay or even sandy soil.

Switch Grass even handles occasional flooding, salt spray and alkaline soil!

Heavy Metal bestows amazing late fall and winter interest in the garden, maintaining that upright growth and strong fall color all winter, even holding on to those beautiful blooms throughout the cold and snow. In spring, before this gets growing, you can prune back nearly to the ground for a clean spring look.

For knock-out color, vertical accents, airy drifts of blooms and hardiness you can't beat, you'll be glad you picked up a few Heavy Metal Switch Grass for your landscape today! Call Nature Hills as soon as these amazing plants are in stock!