Panicum 'Shenandoah'
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Panicum 'Shenandoah': Burgundy Blush in a Smaller Package
Starts the year plain green, then the tips go red and by fall the whole clump is burgundy. 'Shenandoah' has the slowest, most satisfying glow-up in the garden. MOVE OVER, MAKEOVER SHOWS.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'
- Common Name: Red Switch Grass
- Height: 90–120 cm (3–4 ft) in flower
- Spread: 60 cm (2 ft)
- Flowers: Airy, finely textured panicles tinted red, maturing to silvery tan
- Bloom Time: Late summer into fall (August to October)
- Foliage: Green blades that develop red tips by July and turn burgundy red by early fall
- Features: Fall and winter interest
Where to Plant: It's one of the more compact red switch grasses, so it fits mid-border spots and smaller yards. Plant it in a drift for a wash of red in late summer, or use one as an accent near a path. It handles clay and sandy soil.
Companion Plants: Penstemon 'Blackbeard' rises to 70 to 85 cm with lavender flowers in June and July. Salvia 'Blue Hill' carries blue spikes from June, with repeat bloom into early fall. Gaillardia SpinTop® Mariachi Red Sky adds low red blanket flowers from June to September, picking up the red tones in the grass. It's a sunny, drought-tolerant mix that looks good from early summer into fall.
Plant Care: Plant in full sun for the best red colour. Average, well-drained soil suits it, and it doesn't need fertilizer. Water through its first season, then only during long droughts. Leave it standing over winter. Cut back to about 10 cm (4 in) in early spring, before new growth starts. It's a warm-season grass and wakes up late in spring. Divide in spring every few years if the middle of the clump dies out.
History: 'Shenandoah' was selected in Germany by Dr. Hans Simon from a seedling of the cultivar 'Hänse Herms', then introduced to North American gardens. Its species, switch grass, is native to the North American tallgrass prairie from southern Canada to Mexico.
Final Thoughts: Shorter than most switch grasses, so it fits the border without blocking the view. Deer leave it alone. BURGUNDY IS THE NEW BLACK.
