Switch grass
(Panicum virgatum)

Switch grass reaches shoulder height in late summer and offers a beautiful glimpse into the vastness of the prairie ecosystem.


Switch grass can be found growing in rich tallgrass prairie communities along with other grasses and colorful forbs (prairie wildflowers.)

One of the most graceful native grasses, this traditional prairie plant sends up fragile stalks with delicate blossoming “switches.”
video photos by Valerie Spale