Panicum virgatum Dallas Blues - Switchgrass

Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues' is an exceptional horticultural selection. This tall perennial grass first dazzles with its semi-evergreen foliage, which is blue with metallic reflections, and then with its exuberant summer flowering, which floods the foliage with large, light pinkish-purple panicles. It also charms with its graceful fountain-like habit and its extreme adaptability to all kinds of soils (as long as they are not too poor). It can tolerate summer drought, but it requires full sun to thrive. Without a doubt, it is a dream plant, but a dream within reach of every gardener.

Panicum virgatum belongs to the Poaceae family, which once reigned over the fertile plains of the American Midwest, providing valuable food for the immense herds of wild bison. The variety 'Dallas Blues', born with the millennium, is a remarkably blue form of this non-spreading rhizomatous plant. This semi-evergreen variety develops quickly into beautiful clumps of long, ribbon-like leaves, which are particularly wide. They are bluish-green, turning bluer as the season progresses, with a steel-like sheen. They are marked by a stiffer central vein that allows the foliage to maintain its arched and flexible shape, but prevents it from bending under rain. Its mature dimensions will reach 1.5 to 2m (5 to 7ft) in height and almost as much in width, depending on growing conditions. The flowering occurs from August to October. Clumps of foliage emerge from long, stiff stems covered with light panicles measuring 40cm (16in) in length, made up of countless small flowers tinted dark pink that seem to hover like a cloud. In autumn, the foliage takes on rusty to tan-brown hues, then becomes yellowish-tan in winter; the colouration is even more intense if the thermal differences between day and night are strong.

European millet is mainly composed of annual species. Perennial species like Panicum virgatum come from America. Adapted to extreme conditions, panicum can withstand anything: drought, cold, and waterlogged soils. It is versatile and adapts to many situations in the garden. Non-suckering, this tall grass is highly appreciated at the back of slightly wild beds, planted as a screen. It can be planted with tall wild asters, such as Aster laevis or Aster turbinellus, or even Helianthus salicifolius and Verbena hastata. It can also form large groups near bodies of water. This plant is particularly well suited to coastal areas as it tolerates salt spray. It is a wonderful structural plant, perfect in a large container on a patio to create a minimalist scene in a contemporary style.

Its deep root system contributes to soil consolidation, protecting it in winter and enriching it with organic matter. This characteristic is used on a large scale, as it allows other plants or crops to grow on unforgiving soils, where it would not have been possible before. They remain interesting even in winter, when they provide shelter for birds that feed on their seeds.