Panicum Prairie Winds® 'Apache Rose'

Panicum Prairie Winds® 'Apache Rose': A Tidy Column for Salty, Dry Edges

This switch grass grows strictly upright and dense, like a bouncer guarding the velvet rope. Rose-tinted plumes in late summer, rosy-red tips in fall. NOBODY GETS PAST THIS CLUMP.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Panicum virgatum 'Apache Rose'
• Common Name: Switch Grass
• Series: Prairie Winds®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 120 cm (4 ft)
• Spread: 75 cm (2.5 ft)
• Flowers: Airy, rose-coloured panicles that age to tan
• Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October)
• Foliage: Grey-green, strictly upright and dense; leaf tips turn rosy-red in fall
• Features: Salt tolerant, winter interest
• Plant Patent: USPP 29,142 / Can 5,651

Where to Plant: Its tidy, columnar shape fits where floppier grasses won't: narrow beds, along driveways, or as a vertical accent in a mixed border. Plant a row for a soft summer screen, mass it in a prairie-style planting, or grow it in a large container. It tolerates salt and dry soil, so it suits sidewalks and roads that get salted in winter.

Companion Plants: Aster 'Mönch' is a fine partner, with lavender daisies from July to September at 60 to 75 cm. Achillea New Vintage™ Rose adds flat rose flower heads from early to late summer, softening the base of the grass. Solidago 'Little Lemon' keeps things tidy at the front with yellow plumes from July to September. Together they bridge summer into fall in full sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun. It handles a wide range of soils, including clay and poor soil, as long as it isn't waterlogged. Water through the first season, then it copes with dry spells on its own. Too much shade or rich soil can make it lean. Leave the foliage standing over winter for structure and snow-catching interest. Cut it back to about 10 cm (4 in) in early spring, before new growth starts. Switch grass is a warm-season grass, so it wakes up late in spring. Be patient. Divide in spring if the clump gets too big or the centre thins.

History: 'Apache Rose' was selected by Walters Gardens of Zeeland, Michigan, and introduced in the Prairie Winds® collection of switch grasses. Its species, Panicum virgatum, is native across much of North America, including the tallgrass prairie remnants of southern Ontario.

Final Thoughts: Salt, drought, deer and road spray? It's handled worse. Line the walkway and LET IT CHECK THE GUEST LIST.