Panicum 'Heavy Metal'

Panicum 'Heavy Metal': Metallic Blue Posture From Spring to Snow

Stiff, metallic blue-grey blades standing bolt upright like they've got a mosh pit to get to. 'Heavy Metal' does not sway politely in the breeze. THIS GRASS OWNS A BAND T-SHIRT.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'
• Common Name: Switch Grass
• Height: 120 cm (4 ft) in flower
• Spread: 60 cm (2 ft)
• Flowers: Airy, finely branched panicles with a pink to purple tint, held above the foliage. They dry to tan and hold into winter.
• Bloom Time: Late summer into fall (August to October)
• Foliage: Narrow, stiffly upright, metallic blue-grey blades that turn yellow in fall
• Features: Fall and winter interest, RHS Award of Garden Merit

Where to Plant: Its strict, upright shape makes it a vertical accent in a sunny border, a soft screen in a row or a tidy specimen in a large container. It copes with clay and sandy soils and tolerates some road salt, so it's a sensible pick near driveways and sidewalks.

Companion Plants: Iris 'Pink Attraction' flowers in June and often reblooms in September and October, so its pink blooms meet the grass at both ends of the season. Geranium 'Boom Chocolatta' adds purple flowers at 61 to 66 cm from June to August. Anaphalis margaritacea 'New Snow' brings white everlasting flowers from July to September. The upright grass gives the whole group a strong, cool backbone.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average, well-drained soil. Once established it handles both dry spells and the odd wet patch. Skip the fertilizer, because rich soil makes switch grass softer and more likely to lean. Water regularly through its first season. Leave the foliage up through winter. Cut the clump 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. Don't give up on it in May. Divide in spring every few years if the centre starts to thin out.

History: 'Heavy Metal' is one of the oldest named selections of switch grass, a defining grass of the North American tallgrass prairie. It was introduced by Maryland nurseryman Kurt Bluemel in the 1980s and holds the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Final Thoughts: Low maintenance, deer resistant and still headbanging through the winter. Plant three and call it a REUNION TOUR.