Panicum 'Prairie Sky'

Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Sky': Cool Blues with an Upright Horizon

With its strikingly blue foliage and strong vertical habit, Panicum 'Prairie Sky' brings cool-toned calm and reliable structure to sun-drenched gardens. This upright switch grass forms a narrow column of powdery blue blades that retain their colour even through heat and drought. In late summer, airy, bronze-tinged panicles rise above the foliage, adding movement and subtle shimmer. As autumn arrives, the foliage turns soft yellow, rounding out its seasonal display. It’s a refined native grass that adds both polish and prairie spirit to the landscape.

Plant Characteristics:

• Height: 150–180 cm (in flower)
• Spread: 60–75 cm
• Flower Colour: Bronze to tan
• Flowering Period: Late summer to early fall
• Foliage: Powder-blue blades; golden-yellow in fall
• Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
• Soil Requirements: Well-drained to moderately moist soils; drought tolerant once established

Uses and Benefits: 'Prairie Sky' is perfect for adding height and cool colour to mixed borders, native plantings, and contemporary designs. Its upright form makes it a natural accent or repeated vertical element, and its adaptability ensures strong performance in a range of soil and moisture conditions. Deer resistant, easy to grow, and long-lasting through the seasons, it offers beauty with backbone.

Companion Plants: Pair Panicum 'Prairie Sky' with Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' for deep violet spikes that contrast beautifully with its steely blue blades. Add Rudbeckia hirta 'Prairie Sun' to introduce golden blooms with pale centres that echo the grass’s fall tones. Soften the base with Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce', whose cool, fleshy foliage mirrors the grass’s colour and texture in a low-growing form.

Care Instructions: Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Water regularly during establishment, then reduce once mature—this grass tolerates drought and clay with ease. Leave plumes and foliage standing for winter interest. Cut back in early spring before new shoots emerge. Divide every 4–5 years if needed to rejuvenate growth and maintain shape.

History: Bred in Manitoba and selected for its superior blue foliage and upright habit, 'Prairie Sky' is a cultivar of the native Panicum virgatum known for cold hardiness and ornamental reliability across Canadian gardens.

Final Thoughts: Cool, upright, and endlessly adaptable, Panicum 'Prairie Sky' captures the quiet strength of the prairie—standing tall through the seasons with elegance and ease.